A TRUCK will travel through Tadley and Silchester next month - only it will be powered purely by the determination of a group of hardy fundraisers.

As part of the Hope for Gemma campaign, 32 people will be pulling a truck along Silchester Road for a distance of around two-and-a-half miles on Saturday, 4 August.

The team will depart Barlow’s Park at 1pm, bound for The Calleva Arms, in Little London Road, Silchester, before turning around and then heading to The Pelican pub, in Pamber Heath, for another stop before a final journey back to Barlow’s Park.

As the truck-pullers make their way from Tadley to Silchester and back, marshals will be taking donations in aid of the campaign.

The family of Gemma Kent, from Tadley, need to raise £60,000 to pay for life-extending treatment in Turkey, which takes up to six months, and to cover getting to and staying in Turkey.

Mother-of-three Gemma, 41, was diagnosed with inoperable cancer of the pancreas and liver earlier this year.

Organisers say the campaign has ‘united Tadley’ with all of the truck-pullers, marshals and first aiders for the event giving up their time to take on the challenge and an array of businesses including John Stacey & Sons, Kier, Merkko, Sainsbury’s, the Calleva Arms and The Pelican pubs among others contributing to make the event possible.

The public are being invited to watch the truck pull and cheer on the participants along the route.

Gemma has begun chemotherapy treatment, though has been told by doctors she has only as long as a year to live with the treatment if her body accepts the chemicals.

A series of fundraising efforts are planned in the future, including family fun days on Saturday at Tadley Calleva Football Club from 11am, on August 12 from 10am to 4pm at the Wolverdene Club, Andover, and at War Memorial Park on September 29.

To follow the campaign or enquire as a business about how to help, search for @HopeForGemma on Facebook and to donate, go to gofundme.com/hope-for-gemma.

The Hope for Gemma campaign smashed the £40,000 barrier this week with an array of fundraisers signed up to help.