Bottesford man to embark on epic kayak challenge along the River Trent in aid of the British Heart Foundation

A Bottesford man will kayak along the River Trent as part of an epic challenge to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

Bob Bayman will paddle on the third-longest river in the UK whilst friend Lawrence Bate runs on the riverbank alongside him, with the duo covering a combined distance of 600km over just six days.

Their mammoth route – which they have aptly called ‘The Trent Descent’ - will stretch over six counties, with the duo aiming to raise at least £6,000. Money raised will go towards the charity’s life-saving research into heart and circulatory diseases, in the year the BHF celebrates its 60th birthday.

Bob was further motivated to take on the challenge in memory of his father, who passed away following a heart attack in 1985.

Father-of-two Bob said: “I was only 20 when I lost my dad so suddenly. Dad was 74 at the time but we would all remark how active he was and how he was young at heart. Losing him came as a real shock to our family.

“The BHF was pivotal in helping us understand what had happened to Dad and I’ll always be grateful for the information and support we received.”

Lawrence and Bob, who met through work, have plotted out a route which will start at the source of the river in Biddulph Moor. They will then journey through Burton and Nottingham, before reaching the Humber estuary.

The friends will start their challenge on June 19 and expect to complete it on June 25.

Bob said: “It’s going to be pretty cramped in the kayak and the conditions on the water could prove tricky along the way. Although it’s quite nerve-wracking, I’m also really excited to be taking part in this challenge and raising money towards the BHF’s vital research on what is such a milestone year for the charity.”

The BHF funds research into all heart and circulatory diseases, including coronary heart disease, stroke and vascular dementia, and their risk factors such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

There are 7.6 million people living with these conditions in the UK, with heart and circulatory diseases causing more than a quarter of all deaths in the country.

Paula Scaife, fund-raising manager at the BHF, said: “It’s amazing to see the incredible lengths Bob and Lawrence are going to raise funds for the BHF, and we’ll certainly all be cheering them on along the way.

“This year, the BHF is marking 60 years of funding pioneering research to save and improve lives. Covid-19 dealt a brutal blow to our work and caused our investment in new research to be cut in half last year. We can only fund this life saving research thanks to the generous support of the public, so in our 60th year, we urgently need more people to help us.”

To donate to Bob and Lawrence’s challenge, visit www.justgiving.com/thetrentdescent