A Voyage for Voyage - Bedfordshire Young Farmers raise over £3000 for Voyage Care Bedford.

Young Farmers Clubs are renowned nationally for fundraising thousands of pounds for charity each year, and 2016 was no different for Silsoe Young Farmers Club. In August 2016 four novice kayakers, Andrew Redman and Tom Harwood from Silsoe Young Farmers, and Jake Clarkson and Thomas Potter from Woburn Young Farmers, kayaked to Kings Lynn from Bedford Town Centre. All in the name of charity.

The challenge was in aid of Silsoe YFC’s club charity, Voyage Care Bedford. The Care Home is a brand new, purpose built service where care and support are given to six individuals with learning disabilities and physical disabilities. They tailor each individual’s care plan to help with communication, using a range of tools and systems. A resident of the care home has a close connection to Silsoe YFC, which gave the challenge a personal touch and the drive to raise even more funds than the original £1000 target.

The challenge took three long days of paddling, which started along Bedford’s embankment and followed the course of the River Great Ouse, all the way to Kings Lynn at the mouth of the North Sea. From Bedford the river meanders eighty miles, with varying currents, head winds and fourteen locks. The team packed tents, food and personal kit into four kayaks and optimistically set of at 8am Friday 12^th August.

With the sun beating down on day one, the team knew they had their work cut out. With ten locks successfully negotiated around on the first day, they set up camp near Houghton Mill. Day two proved to be the most productive, paddling 37 miles and conquering ‘ten mile bank’ east of Ely. This long straight was the biggest mental challenge of the journey, as there was no break in the horizon other than water. 

The team were blown away by the support throughout the journey from friends, family and the locals they met on the river along the way. Thanks goes to The Ship pub at Brandon’s Creek for kindly letting the team camp in their pub garden. The team were met with more generosity from the West Norfolk Rowing Club on Sunday morning at the Denver Sluice.  After a quick pit stop at their clubhouse, there was only ten miles left until they finally reached Kings Lynn. The crowds flocked to watch the boys paddle into Kings Lynn at 1.30pm.

Silsoe YFC’s Andrew Redman said, “we are so pleased to raise so much money for local cause, the challenge was hard work but worth all the effort when we saw the final total raised”.

Silsoe Chairman Tom Harwood said, “it was an incredibly rewarding challenge and it was great to see all the support at the finish line. It has proved that a challenge like this is possible for anyone, and very fulfilling in the process.”

The team were supported in the build up to the challenge by Canoe Trail, as well as supplying all the necessary training and equipment. Canoe Trail are a Bedford based company and can help you get on the water in any form of paddle craft. Please do visit their website (www.canoetrail.co.uk) for more information about their services.

Andrew, Tom, Jake and Thomas would like to thank everyone who supported, donated and helped them along the way. It was a great journey from start to finish and the team are so happy to raise over £3000. Young Farmers is a great adventure, opening the doors to so many opportunities, for more information about what we get up to please visit our Facebook page, facebook.com/silsoeyoungfarmers.