Row-a-thon Challenge for The Rivers Trust
Three Foresters members are taking on a monumental challenge to raise vital funds and awareness for The Rivers Trust, a charity that Foresters Friendly Society is supporting for their 2024/2025 Annual Charity Appeal.
Foresters’ members Brooklyn Andrew, Trish Slade and Bruce Hicks, have committed to rowing the entire length of the River Thames—an impressive 215 miles (346km). As the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the UK, this challenge is no small feat!
Their journey began on Saturday 22nd February, at the Societies Southern Conference, where Brooklyn kicked things off, rowing on a portable rowing machine in front of conference attendees. Shortly after, Trish and Bruce joined in to take on this incredible challenge.
Their goal? To raise awareness for The Rivers Trust and the vital work they do to protect our rivers and their ecosystems for both the present and future generations. The Rivers Trust’s mission to ensure the health of our waterways is critical—and fundraising will help to provide the resources needed to support their ongoing conservation efforts.
Foresters Friendly Society has a tradition of supporting charitable causes each year and for 2024/2025, their President chose The Rivers Trust.
Trish, participant, added “The state of our rivers in the UK is very worrying. Data from The Rivers Trust shows how bad the situation is getting, with regular sewage spills, pollution and more. When I saw Brook rowing away to raise money, I knew that I wanted to help. I love being outdoors in nature and rivers play a really vital role – they are home to many species, they support wildlife, and we need them for so many reasons.
We are aiming to complete our row-a-thon challenge by the Society’s AGM in June 2025, and donations would be incredibly appreciated. Any donation – big or small – would be amazing, and can be made via our team Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/page/cdo-riverrow.”
To find out more about the Society’s Annual Charity Appeal, click here.