Ripon Tinsel Tractor Run sets £10,000 target for 2026
Ripon Tinsel Tractor Run sets £10,000 charity target
Ripon Tinsel Tractor Run is gearing up for its biggest year yet as organisers set an ambitious £10,000 fundraising target for 2026 in support of Yorkshire Cancer Research.
The event started in November 2023 when organisers Brian Chandler and Simon Dickinson discovered they each had a brother-in-law battling bladder cancer.
Determined to make a difference, they arranged a tractor run with just three weeks’ notice.
And 18 tractors rolled out, raising an impressive £1,640 and laying the foundations for something truly special.
In 2024, the team expanded with the addition of Colin Houseman supporting social media and Mark Nicholson assisting through NVTEC with insurance and marshalling.
A mapped OS route was created to help residents follow the convoy as it travelled from Tates Garden Centre to Ripon Market Place. The event grew to 35 tractors, raising £2,653.
By 2025, demand had outgrown the Market Place’s capacity of 38 tractors.
To keep the event growing—and fundraising rising—the team turned to local businesses for sponsorship.
The response was overwhelming. With strong community backing, the event smashed its target and achieved a remarkable £7,022.99.
Now, the organisers are aiming even higher with £10,000 as a target to boost Harrogate-based Yorkshire Cancer Research.
Tractor Run spokesperson Brian Chandler said: “To reach this year’s £10,000 goal, we are inviting local businesses, organisations, and supporters to come on board as sponsors and help drive the event to new heights.”
The 2026 run will take place on Saturday 5 December, leaving Tates Garden Centre at 3pm, with the team already working on route promotion and village notifications.
Anyone interested in sponsoring the Ripon Tinsel Tractor Run—whether through financial support or promotional partnership—is encouraged to get in touch.
Approximate route timings – subject to change:
13:00 Tractors arrive at F Tate & Sons Larkhill Nurseries
15:00 Tractors Leave prompt
15:15 First tractor arrive at Ripon Morrisons
15:30 Leave Morrisons prompt
15:50 Arrive at Bishop Monkton
16:20 Arrive Roecliffe
16:35 Arrive Boroughbridge Morrisons
17:00 Leave Morrisons
17:20 Slow drive through Langthorpe
17:35 Arrive Skelton
18:00 Arrive at junction with B6265 Hewick
18:20 Drive past Cathedral
18:30 Ripon Market Place