THREE friends are taking the trip of a lifetime as they set off on a 10,000-mile charity drive from Newport to Mongolia.

The Gwent trio set off from South Wales on Saturday, ahead of the launch party for the UK-wide Mongol Rally event in London.

Victoria Griffiths, from Cwmbran, will be making the mammoth trek with her boyfriend, civil engineer Will Morgan, and friend Gareth Griffiths, a research scientist.

They will be fundraising for Welsh children’s charity Latch, which provides social and welfare support to children suffering from cancer.

This is the tenth anniversary of the race, which this year sees around 500 participants do the drive.

Ms Griffiths also raised more than £400 for the cancer charity after running the Trail Wales’ Half Marathon in June.

The 26-year-olds have spent weeks planning the route for their journey, which they will undertake in a one-litre engine Toyota Yaris.

Before they set off, Ms Griffiths said: “I think we have all gone through the nervous, worried stage. Now we’re getting so close we’re really excited for all the good things we are going to see.

“We’ll be starting through Belgium, across Europe, Croatia, through Kazakhstan.”