Barrel-rolling relay for ‘Help for Heroes’ kicks off

Joanna Lumley has been among those supporting and lending a hand (or a foot) to the latest event to raise money for the veterans' charity 'Help for Heroes', as Bell's 'Barrel of Laughs' celebrity barrel-rolling relay began from Bell's distillery in Scotland earlier this week. Ms Lumley was there at the 'off' on Monday at the Blair Athol Distillery in Perthshire. The concept is quite straightforward in principle, as a number of leading comedians and Celebrities will 'assist' (aka be on the route with) a personal trainer called Rod Edmond, as he attempts to push a barrel of Bell's whisky across the UK over a distance of 517 miles to the charity's recovery centre at Tedworth House in Wiltshire.

Edmond was the personal trainer for ITV's show "The Biggest Loser".

The event is essentially a marketing campaign dreamed up by the whisky brand Bell's in collaboration with Marston's, the pub operator and brewery. Their aim is not only to clearly push their own products, but also to raise funds for the very deserving charity at the same time. With the event scheduled to run from the 23^rd to 30^th March, there is still time to catch sight of the novelty concept and to catch a sight of one or two famous faces (or maybe just some other part of their anatomy) as they attempt to navigate the barrel to its final destination.

Bell's are keen for the campaign to be a big success and are certainly putting their money behind it, involving Marston's pubs along the route on the entertainment side, by setting up comedy gigs at their hostelries involving the comedians taking part on that particular day.

Those comedians believed to be lined up include Fred MacAulay, Rufus Hound and Mark Dolan. The brand have already supported the chosen charity significantly, donating £1 million in the past, and are keen to expand their involvement and association with "Help for Heroes" going forward.