The Heart-warming Generosity of the VW Community
For many people, owning a classic campervan is a lifelong ambition. For Joe and Paula Lungley, that ambition became a reality in 2017 when they bought their 1965 Split Screen. Nicknamed “Marley,” the van was originally imported from New Orleans and became a cherished part of the Lungley family, taking up residence at the bottom of their garden.
The van when it was first bought by Joe and the van when Joe had to put a halt on the project
The van being pulled on to Ben’s truck in Suffolk
But life can be unpredictable, and tragedy struck when Joe, a heating and plumbing engineer, suffered from a number of seizures in March 2021. Following numerous tests, Joe was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour, which understandably brought a halt to his progress in the garage. Preparing to sell the van and pack it all in, Joe and Paula faced a heart-breaking decision. But Paula didn’t want to see their cherished campervan go, so she reached out to the VW community for help. The Split Screen Van Club shared her SOS to all their members, and that’s when Ben Yates, MD of Brighton-based Graphics company and founder of NutJob.com, stepped in.
From left, Vero, Ben, Adam, Kev, Jazz and Jon from Nutjob
Ben and his colleagues, who had previously built a six-wheeled type 25, came together to tackle this project. They set themselves just six weeks to turn the bare but solid shell into a fully functioning classic campervan for Joe, Paula, and their two children to create some amazing memories in. Putting everything into this philanthropic project, Ben wasted no time in collecting the van from the Lungley’s home in East Anglia. In true NutJob style, this project was shared on YouTube, something which has no doubt been key to the generosity of so many friends and followers.
Friends and followers came together to celebrate a finished project with Joe and Paula Lungley
One of the first offers of help came from an upholsterer called Mick from Groovy Campers, who lives locally to Joe and Paula. On the way back to Sussex with Marley, Ben dropped some of the interior trim in for him to make a start on. The fabric Mick used on the interior trimming was from the Chieftain Fabrics Heritage range called Universal Caramel. Chieftain Fabrics Heritage is a highly engineered extreme performance vinyl fabric suitable for the most demanding applications. It is the company’s heavy-duty range and is exceptionally hard-wearing.
Chieftain Fabrics – Universal Caramel
Thanks to the generosity of the VW community and the hard work of Ben and his team at NutJob.com, Joe and Paula’s dream of owning a classic campervan lives on. Marley has been transformed into a fully functioning campervan, ready to create new memories for the Lungley family.
Chieftain Fabrics – Universal Caramel
This heart-warming story is a testament to the power of community and generosity. In a world where bad news seems to dominate the headlines, it’s inspiring to see people come together to help a family in need. The Lungley family’s story is a reminder that, even in the darkest of times, there is still hope and kindness in the world.
If you would like to find out more, please contact us at enquiries@chieftainfabrics.com or freephone 08000 355 955.
We look forward to hearing from you.
The Chieftain Team
Contact details of companies mentioned:
Groovy Campers
Phone: 07456013387 / 07935963737
Website: https://groovycampers.com
Email: Cliff@groovycampers.com
Nut Job
Website: https://nutjob.com/
Email: info@nutjob.com
