Hertfordshire entertainer and DJ joining charity drive for SSAFA

24 July 2024

Andy Harvey owns Mr H Productions, a DJ entertainment and event production company based in Stevenage. He will be providing his beloved Opal Fruit Mustang as well as taking part in A Driving Force for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.

A Driving Force for SSAFA is a biennial summer charity driving event. It involves one hundred people in fifty vehicles, including participants and support vehicles, on an exhilarating 10-day journey across scenic European routes. This year’s route will cover the Iberian Peninsula and Gibraltar from 30 July to 9 August 2024, with the aim of raising £120,000 for SSAFA.

Andy first got involved with A Driving Force after a chance encounter in 2021 at the Knebworth Car Show with Benn Laidler and Steve Shaw of Torque Events, who were part of the team that created the original event, named Rally for Heroes. After meeting the two men Andy joined the 2022 Rally for Heroes, bringing his brand-new Cyber Orange Ford Mustang GT along with him.

Andy said this of that year’s event: “The whole 2022 Rally for Heroes experience was both exhilarating and challenging, filled with early starts, long hours of driving, and such great camaraderie with fellow participants. I could not have completed the experience without the unwavering support of my co-driver, Martin Ricketts.

“Martin and I played our part in raising a collective and very impressive £180,000 for SSAFA during the 2022 Rally for Heroes event! Now with the event rebranded as A Driving Force for SSAFA, Martin and I are preparing for the 2024 event. My determination to make an even greater impact for SSAFA shines through, with my eyes now firmly wide open to the challenges ahead.”

Andy’s GT became known within the sub team on the 2022 event, of five noisy machines, as “The Opal Fruit” which he guesses is down to the colour. He inherited the love of orange from his mother, and it was in her memory he selected the colour in the first place. 

Having already endured the rigors of the previous rally, Andy believes it stands him in good stead to embark on another adventure, this time with the dual purpose of creating unforgettable memories and supporting those who have served their country.

Andy said this about raising money for SSAFA: “It's often the case that the remarkable work of wonderful charities such as SSAFA goes unnoticed, until we have a personal connection or experience that brings their importance to light.  I did not have any connection at all before I met Benn; I just wanted to do the rally and the charity was a byproduct. Now, I am honoured to support such a fantastic cause.”