Villager has raised more than £5,000 in 500 mile boat race

JPCT 02-02-13 S13063076X Pulborough RFC. Alex Ireson and Pip Jennings training for London to Paris charity row. -photo by Steve Cobb

A Pulborough resident is rowing more than 500 miles from London to Paris for charity in just six days.

Starting last Saturday, May 3, Pip Jennings is taking part in The REAL Boat Race to raise funds for children’s charity Ickle Pickles.

The two teams are rowing from the London Eye to the Eiffel Tower with Pip’s opponents representing Help for Heroes.

Each crew member has trained for months and rowed over one million metres in preparation.

But the real motivation for the teams is to finish the epic voyage and provide a cash boost to both charities with more than £100,000 already pledged by supporters.

The race started from Big Ben, Westminster Bridge at 8.45pm last Saturday, May 4 and will end in Paris on Saturday, May 11.

Mrs Jennings said: “I am rowing from London to Paris as my nephew Freddie North was born 15 weeks early and spent 13 weeks fighting for his life at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.”

She has already beaten her fund raising target of £5,000 and hopes raise £7,000 on completion.