FORMER soldier and local man Ken Timms and his great-nephew Daniel Brown headed to the wharf in Selby on June 23 to start out their fund raising trip to Liverpool in a sturdy ‘Prospector’ Canadian canoe
The trip was to raise money for two charities close to Ken’s heart, Help for Heroes and Save the Children.
The canoe was provided courtesy of Rob Brown and delivered by Peter Bridle, both of the Hull and District Canoe club.
After a lot of negotiation with British Waterways, the final route was set as
The team left Selby in the canoe fully laden with equipment and supplies and a banner advertising the event, which proved to be a major challenge in cross-winds.
Yet this was the least of the pair’s troubles, with the biggest and most tiring challenge being the 90 locks, of which all but four of them required the canoe and equipment to be carried around them.
Three days in, while camping in Newlay, near Leeds, Ken tripped and a visit to Leeds hospital the following morning confirmed a broken collar bone, and it began to look like the event would have to be aborted.
A frantic effort was made to find a replacement for Ken and fortunately, a young graduate from Leeds, Chris Rees, happened to jog by and stopped to speak to Dan and ask about the trip.
He immediately volunteered when he heard the situation and the next morning returned with his kit.
Ken walked the remaining 120 miles, ensuring that all three men reached Liverpool on July 3, complete with blisters and aches, but in high spirits.
The team wishes to thank those who sponsored the event and asks for your support. All sponsor money is donated to the Save the Children and Help for Heroes charities.
To see the pictures and to sponsor online, visit www.justgiving.com/Kenneth-Timms-savethechildren and www.justgiving.com/Kenneth-Timms-helpforheroes
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