HYDERABAD: Some believe life begins at 60 and a London septuagenarian couple is showing the way. Alan Braithwaite and his wife Pat, both 73, has taken up the Trans-India Challenge on their Morgan three-wheeler to raise funds for an India-based NGO, Goonj.

The couple has embarked on a 5,600 km India tour in their 'Queen Bee', the star three-wheeler on Indian roads. The four-legged trip will go on for 34 days and plans to cover most parts of India. Accompanied by a film crew, their sojourn will be turned into a feature film which is due to be released later in 2020.

They took a 'rest' day at the British Deputy High Commissioner Andrew Fleming's residence here on Tuesday talking about their journey saying "Queen Bee has behaved impeccably."

Speaking about the challenge, Alan says that the main aim is to put the spotlight on 'circular economy'. He explains that there needs a model which would help rural communities make a difference to their own lives while retaining their dignity. "A ‘circular economy’ that gives a hand-up, not a hand-out," he says.

"We are partnering with Goonj to raise awareness of the organisation inside and globally and raise two lakh pounds (Rs 1.8 crore) to help them fund the 'circular economy' projects,” he adds.

On the projects on recycled products, Goonj, state coordinator Sreedhar Sharma says that the surplus waste of urban India can be used to fulfil the needs of the poor in the rural areas and that can be done through recycling.

Speaking about their journey, British Deputy High Commissioner Andrew Fleming says that with this ambitious journey, the level of awareness will rise on the prospects of 'circular economy' and thus for an eco-friendly and greener future.

"There is a huge potential to leverage the circular economy to new levels for the benefit of the India's rural communities and they (Alan and Pat) are at the forefront of driving this important message of mind change in cities like Hyderabad," Fleming says.

They began their India tour on February 1 from Mumbai and will set out next destination to Khamman on February 5.

Also Watch | Septuagenarians In “Queen Bee” Embark On A 5,600 km India Road Trip