Protyre Mechanic Raises £40,000 Through Boxing Charity Drive

A Protyre Autocare mechanic in Maidstone has raised more than £40,000 for charity after taking on four boxing matches and a truck pull. Andrew Tannahill, 31, began fundraising after losing his grandmother to cancer and later his mother, choosing to support Cancer Research UK and suicide prevention charity Baton of Hope.

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A personal challenge with trade relevance

Tannahill, who works at Protyre Autocare Maidstone, had never trained in a gym before committing to his first boxing match. The challenge became a sustained fundraising effort after successive family bereavements.

He said losing his grandmother had been “a massive hit” for the family, describing her as “the pillar that held us together”. That loss, he said, pushed him to step into the ring despite being a complete novice.

The fundraising continued after Tannahill began training for a truck pull. During that period, his mother died after struggling to cope with the loss of his grandmother. Tannahill then completed three further boxing matches to raise more money.

Community role for local tyre centres

For tyre retailers and autocare centres, stories such as this underline the role local depots play in their communities. The sector often depends on trusted personal relationships as much as technical service standards.

Tyre News has recently reported on other Protyre centre-level activity, including Protyre managers addressing “Garage Anxiety” in Sheffield and Protyre Taunton becoming the UK’s first Bridgestone e-CENTRE. Those stories point to a wider focus on customer trust, staff visibility and local engagement across tyre retail.

Tannahill said Baton of Hope and Cancer Research UK were “causes which are close to my heart” after the loss of his mother and grandmother. He added that he plans to keep raising funds in their memory and hopes the money will support others “in their time of need”.

Further events planned

Tannahill is now organising another event and plans to take part in a Tough Mudder run next year. Protyre Autocare has also contributed to his fundraising total.

Shane Collier, centre manager at Protyre Maidstone, said the team was proud of Tannahill’s efforts. “He’s gone from never stepping foot in a boxing ring to organising and taking part in four matches, and that is an incredible feat, not to mention pulling a lorry,” he said.

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Tagged with: Protyre Autocare, Protyre Maidstone, tyre retail, autocentre, charity fundraising, Cancer Research UK, Baton of Hope, suicide prevention, boxing fundraiser, garage community

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