The Challenge!
This September a small team of 6 will be canoeing the Harkan River in aid of the amazing charity Odyssey, Project ltd.
The idea of a 5 day canoe trip is so appealing and sounds so idyllic, especially if the weather is kind ….
That is, until you know the full extent what is full entailed!
Come rain or shine the team will be canoeing for 5 days and setting up camping each night, along the way.
The team will be preparing and cooking their own meals and foraging for wood for fuel. They will have to share camp sites with the wild life: midges, ants and their BIG ant hills and may even come across the odd bear, moose, reindeer, beavers, or elk.
In parts of the river they will be tackling 2/3 grade white water and other stretches, crossing large lakes. Hopefully, it won't be too windy! Paddleing and bail out the canoe at the same time, isn't fun, if there are lots of bow waves.
If the above isn't challenging and exhilarating, enough!
There are the portages!....
Each time a section of the river is not passable or the team come across a dam, they will have to empty the canoes, haul them out of the water, place them onto a set of wheels, reload the canoes with the kit and push the canoes over land to the next entry point.
Before the canoes can slid back into the water the team will have to repeat the process, un-fill the canoes and place them back into the water, and replace the kit back in the canoes, before they can set sail, again.
It is going to be quite a challeneg for the team!
Please do support them the best you can.
Thank you !
The charity: Odyssey!
Who are they?
Odyssey is a small unique national charity that helps people with cancer (age 18+) over come the psychological impact of their illness by helping to rebuild their shattered spirits and restore their zest for life.
Odyssey’s approach is of active involvement rather than introspective.
Participants are invited to attend a 5-day fully residential course that is free of charge to them. During the course, they are taken on a magical adventure through a unique blend of the unexpected varity of challenges, fun, camaraderie and both peer and professional support.
Each person who attends one of these amazing courses, goes through their own unique journey of transformation. It is truly wonderful to see the transformation!
A Brief History of Odyssey:
Odyssey was founded in 1994 by a Canterbury, in Kent based oncologist Dr Howard Smedley, who had previously used outdoor adventure activities for the purpose of staff development. It was following the staff development training that it occurred to him that something similar might benefit many of his patients.
Dr Howard Smedly along with his fellow colleagues Steve Gough & Charles Lyster, later that year ran the first ever Odyssey course, in Kent.
Since then the charity has consistently run courses in Kent and when funding allows, in Wales and other parts of England.
The Cost:
To run a course it cost Odyssey £1,000 per person and there are between 10 and 16 people invited on a course, and between 2 to 5 courses are run a year, depending on funding. This equates to between £26,000 to £68,000 per year needed, to ensure the courses run.
All donations, however small, are very welcome and will help to provide for as many people as possible.
Odyssey thanks you, everyone past, present and future for your support in donations. Every donation is precious regardless of size and will take Odyssey closer to making life lasting positive changes to the life of not only the participants, but their families, friends and wider communities.
With your help, your donation will enable Odyssey to keep providing the Odyssey experience to as many people possible.
To find out more about Odyssey do visit the
web site: www.odyssey.org.uk or
email: enquiries@odyssey.org.uk
Registered Office:
Odyssey Project Ltd,
37 St Margaret’s Street,
Canterbury,CT1 2TU
Registered in England, Registration/Charity No. 1045259:
Company Limited by Guarantee, No. 03031503
Raising for
£540
raised of £1,500
