A team of friends and family are embarking on a mission that very few people can say they have ever completed. They’re going to be building a car on top of a mountain.

Maisie McFarlane will be scaling the black mountains alongside friends and family on Sunday to remember her dad and his love of the good old classic Mini.

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

All of them will be completing 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 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 over £16,00 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.

Friends and family say they have been preparing in earnest to honour his legacy.

“We have all been training hard to get ready for this challenge,” the said.

“Some of us have been in the gym making sure we are primed for the challenge, others have focussed on the walking element to make sure we cover the distance and a couple of the team have even scouted our route already to prepare themselves.”

So, if you happen to see some people carrying car doors and engine parts through Abergavenny this weekend, don’t be alarmed.

Donations are being accepted at justgiving.com/page/miniupamountain.