Big Paddle pledge to paddle 10,000 miles for Beyond Words

A team of paddling enthusiasts has taken on a mammoth fundraising challenge to raise money for our Book Clubs.

The Big Paddle team, led by Gary Coulton, have pledged to paddle a total of at least 10,000 miles between them in 2022. Through their GoFundMe page, they are hoping to raise at least £1,000 - enough to buy two Bumper Book Club Starter Packs.

Gary and the other members of his group wanted to get together to do something that would reflect the challenges people with learning disabilities face. They decided the best way to do this was to commit to a year-long fundraiser, with each of them setting personal goals to paddle at least double their yearly personal average. For some of them, this means paddling 1,000 miles!

This means paddling at least 20 miles every week, come rain or shine. It is a serious commitment that truly shows the strength of support for our small charity.

The paddlers will update their current mileage every month. You can see their updates, videos and pictures of their challenge by heading to their GoFundMe page or to their Facebook page.

Get involved and show your support

Are you a keen marathon paddler wanting to know how to join in? The Big Paddle is welcoming of all individuals, teams or clubs that might want to join them - and are excited by the possibilities of increasing their 10,000 mile target even more. If you'd like to learn more about how you can be part of their team, get in touch with Gary Coulton via their GoFundMe page or social media platforms as they tackle their challenge.

Our supporters help us to create our word-free stories, bring communities together with book clubs and spread the word about visual literacy. You can help the Big Paddle and our small charity by spreading the word about their amazing challenge to your contacts and via your social media profiles.

We'll also be posting regular updates and news from the Big Paddle via our own Twitter and Facebook pages.

Have an idea for a fundraising event of your own and want to find out more about fundraising for us? Get in touch via email with our team.