Chichester couple raise thousands by rowing home-made boat on their driveway

A couple from Chichester, who are passionate about sailing, have raised £2,000 by rowing a makeshift boat on their driveway.
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Willowbed Avenue resident Paul Featherstone said he and his wife Hilary, both 65, completed the ‘2.6 challenge’ on April 26 to raise people’s spirits ‘in these gloomy times’ but also to support Brighton Housing Trust (BHT) — a charity which delivers ‘critical support’ for ‘severely disadvantaged’ people across Sussex.

He added: “We’ve had a boat at Chichester Harbour for about 30 years now but we can’t get to it at the moment [because] it’s not an essential journey.

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"We thought why don’t we make one. We got things out of our garden storage unit with some additions. We put some shock cords on to simulate water resistance against the oars.”

The couple raised 2,000 by taking it in turns to row their idyllic tropical lagoon on the drivewayThe couple raised 2,000 by taking it in turns to row their idyllic tropical lagoon on the driveway
The couple raised 2,000 by taking it in turns to row their idyllic tropical lagoon on the driveway

The couple took it turns to row their ‘idyllic tropical lagoon’, equipped with lifejackets and binoculars.

“We rowed for two hours and six minutes,” he said. "We originally wanted to raise £620, which we were a bit doubtful about.

“Friends and family were astonishingly supportive and we raised, with gift aid, just under £2,000 in one week for this fantastic charity. It’s just a fantastic result."

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Paul hopes the money will hugely benefit BHT’s work, ‘which has never been more vital’ in supporting people, including the homeless and people suffering with their mental health.

He said: “Its funds this year are already depleted by more than £30,000 because of the cancellation of fundraising events.”

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