An intrepid team of family and friends completed their challenge to build a Mini Up a Mountain over the bank holiday weekend.

The 23 strong crew carried the deconstructed Mini from Hay on Wye and up the Black Mountain before building it at the highest point of their trek. They posed for photographs with the car before carefully dismantling it for the hike back down to Abergavenny.

All of them completed the challenge in memory of Francis McFarlane, who tragically passed away a year ago due to melanoma, aged 51.

His love for the Mini has been passed down to the rest of the family, with his daughter, Maisie, telling the Chronicle that the challenge could not be more fitting.

“Dad was a lovely person and devoted his life to making a difference for others,” she says.

“He was a music teacher in primary schools and spent lots of time researching charities, and it was only when he passed did my mother realise he had subscriptions going out to ten or twelve charities every month.”

“We all want to do right by him.”

May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month and the team are dedicated to using their challenge to raise awareness of the lifesaving information about how melanoma is spotted, diagnosed and treated to help others fight the devastating disease.

They have already raised almost £18,000 for Melanoma Focus, a national charity dedicated to the needs of everyone affected by the disease. Maisie said that spreading the word about the charity’s work is vital.

“We actually came up with this challenge before a specific charity was chosen,” she said

“We had never heard of this charity before, and we were gutted that we hadn’t heard about them sooner.”

“It is so important for other people to have access to all the help and guidance the charity has to offer.”

Francis lived his life to the full, having shared his love for the humble Mini with the likes of Fatboy Slim, Lily Allen, Kate Moss and Charlotte Church. Originally from Scotland, Francis eventually settled in Newport, Shropshire, which included many family trips to Abergavenny and the surrounding countryside.

Everyone involved had a fantastic day, and following months of preparation they set off on their mission to build a Mini Up a Mountain.

“We started the day at 9am with a pep talk and a group warm-up at the foot of the mountain,” Maisie said.

“Because the weather was so tumultuous at the start of the day, and strong winds were forecast for the entire day, we were unsure whether we would be able to complete the hike with the panels on our backs, as they were so large.”

“At the summit, we quickly constructed the MINI, took a few photos and toasted to my dad with a wee dram - only appropriate as a Scottish family. It was such a relief to see our support team waiting for us. A few days on, we're all recovering well, and we're so proud of our achievements.”