A troop of avid paddleboarders and kayakers took to the River Avon to take part in a lengthy excursion, raising a total of £13,000 for local charity Dorothy House Hospice Care.

The Boathouse pub in Bath, owned by family brewers Hall & Woodhouse, hosted the inaugural ‘Big Avon Paddle’ organised by Channel Kayaks. The event consisted of 48 participants embarking on an intense eight-hour mission to take on as many loops to Saltford Marina and back as they could.

164 loops (which equalled 4.5 miles) were completed by everyone who took part, totalling 738 miles covered in total over the course of the day.

Phillippa Watson, Head of Relationship Fundraising at Dorothy House, said:

“We could not be more pleased with the support we have received from everyone that was involved in making The Big Avon Paddle happen and the money raised will make an immeasurable difference. The help we received from the team at The Boathouse every step of the way was tremendous.

“This was a totally new event for us and the first fundraising event we have staged for almost 18 months. It could not have been more successful and we look forward to doing it all again next year.”

Dorothy House Hospice Care is a local charity that provides personalised, specialist care to help people and support their families prepare for the end of their lives.

The money raised will go towards funding the vital care that Dorothy House provides in the local community. £251 could pay for one full night’s shift provided by one of the charity’s Inpatient Unit Nurses at Winsley. The experienced nurses are there for patients day and night, providing outstanding care when it’s most needed.

The Boathouse assisted with the set-up of the event and gifted food and drinks for all participants on the day, including a traditional pub dinner of a burger and chips after the excursion.

Chloe Hallam, General Manager of The Boathouse, said:

“We could not be happier to partner with Dorothy House to host The Big Avon Paddle at The Boathouse. It was the perfect location and for the most fantastic cause.

“Being able to show our support to the local community and raising money for charity is at the core of what we do at Hall & Woodhouse. We’re beaming with pride at the total raised and can’t wait to host round two next year.”

To find out more about Dorothy House Hospice Care, please visit: www.dorothyhouse.org.ukand for more information about The Boathouse, visit: www.boathouse-bath.co.uk