Four students, 12 countries, one car…

A group of students from the University of Warwick are taking on the ultimate road trip from Coventry to Dubrovnik to raise funds for Amnesty International.

A week of exploring Europe with your best mates, enjoying the sights and scenery, and raising funds for an international charity sounds like the best summer ever. The catch? It’s a 2,000-mile trip across 12 countries in a ’53 plate Rover… 

Aryan Karnik, Alex Muscat, Karam Ginda, and Alex Crawley are the intrepid foursome taking on the challenge. The four friends are all studying Automotive Engineering at the University of Warwick and live together at The Oaks, a student accommodation in Coventry. The Oaks is owned and operated by Student Roost, who are also sponsoring the aptly named DashLads.

Dash to Dubrovnik was created by Amaquella, a budget-friendly and student-focused travel company that organises ultimate experiences each year, with hundreds of university students from across the UK signing up each year to complete the challenge.

Inspired by the Cheap Car Challenge from the hit show Top Gear, Dash to Dubrovnik will see the group of friends travel from their student accommodation to one of Croatia’s most famous cities while raising thousands of pounds for Amnesty International.

The journey will take the DashLads, in their Student Roost branded banger, through 12 countries and iconic travel destinations including Venice, the Swiss Alps, Munich and the infamous racing track, Nurbergring.

On Friday 24 June, the team at The Oaks is hosting a send-off party for the group, where their Student Roost branded car, which will be their constant companion for their eight-day trip, will also be revealed.

The Oaks is a short walk from the University of Warwick campus. The first building with space for 378 students opened in 2020, with a further 639 beds and brand-new social spaces and leisure facilities opening early next month.

Student Roost is one of the largest student accommodation providers in the UK, with over 50 properties in all four corners of the UK. It will also be opening five new properties in Nottingham, York, Bristol, and Brighton in time for the 2022/23 academic year.  From September 2022, almost 23,000 residents will live in one of 56 Student Roost properties across the UK.

Aryan Karnik, a resident at The Oaks and one of the DashLads, said:

“We’re so grateful to Student Roost for sponsoring us on this epic adventure. I’ve lived at The Oaks since 2021, and Alex has lived here since it opened in 2020, and we get on so well with the property team. For the company to sponsor us so we can take on this challenge has made us even more excited to embark on our journey.

“As Automotive Engineering students we just had to sign up to Dash to Dubrovnik! Not only do we get to spend a summer travelling together, but we also have the opportunity to raise thousands of pounds for an incredible charity and see how far we can push the Rover!”

Matthew Don-Gentry, Senior Operations Manager at The Oaks, said:

“We’re really proud that a group of our residents are taking part in the Dash to Dubrovnik challenge. It’s been a pleasure helping the DashLads get everything together, from helping them to Roost-ify the Rover, to organising a big send-off party for them.

“All the team at The Oaks wish them the best of luck, and we can’t wait to see photos of their adventure and hear all about it when they join us back in Coventry!”

The DashLads will be filming their journey and updating everyone on their progress via their Instagram account, @DashLads

You can find more information on Dash to Dubrovnik here – https://amaquella.co.uk/

More information on The Oaks is available here.