South Shields Scooter Club member to honour 'friend who became a brother' by completing North Coast 500 route for charity

Stuart Williams, 52, from Jarrow, is a member of the South Shields Scooter Club, which was launched over 30 years ago by his close friend Mick Geach, who passed away from lung cancer in December 2021, aged 53.

Before his diagnosis, Stuart and Mick were planning to take their scooters on the North Coast 500 route this year, until Mick’s condition made it impossible.

Now Stuart is set to complete the journey in honour of his friend, raising money for Mick’s chosen charity The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.

He will also scatter Mick’s ashes over Loch Ness in an emotional highlight of the trip.

Stuart said: “Mick was my friend who became more like a brother. Mick was such an incredible man and even when he was ill he was always thinking of others. He was such a positive person and he stayed positive to the end. He had a massive impact on my life.

“Mick’s death really hit everyone very hard , no more so that his family. That’s why I wanted to do this trip to honour him. We had planned on doing the NC500 this year and thought we could ride it over five days. The scenery and locations look stunning and Mick had always wanted to ride along Loch Ness.

"The Roy Castle Lung Foundation was Mick’s chosen charity and we’re honoured to be able to support them in his name.”

Following Mick’s death, the scooter club paid tribute to its founder by renaming itself The Geachy Scooter Club and during his funeral, over 100 scooters turned out to follow Mick to his final resting place.

Stuart and a fellow member of the scooter club will set off on the journey from Inverness on July 18, taking five days to complete the route.

The Roy Castle Lung Foundation, based in Liverpool, provides help and hope to people affected by lung cancer and raising awareness for the illness.

To support Stuart on his journey, visit his Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stuart-williams47