Supporting good causes
Over the last few years I have supported a range of charities through my rowing adventurers and my business, the Adventurers Drinks Company.
In 2017 I took time out from business to lead Team Tyne Innovation row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in the 2018/19 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. Together with Claire Hughes, Alan Huntly and Steve Sidaway, we completed the race in 42 days 10 hours and 26 minutes, a world record for a mixed four. In doing so we raised £43,450 for three charities, the Stroke Association, Daft as a Brush Cancer Patient Care and St Oswald's Hospice.
In 2020, whilst part of a team planning to row the Northwest Passage, I ate, slept and rowed in my garage 24/7 for 14 days to raise money for a number of charities that supported the NHS in the community. As a team we rowed the distance of the Northwest Passage, 3,218,000m on concept 2 rowing machines. I decided to row 12 hours each day in shifts of 2 hours on 2 hours off and the rest of the team between then rowed the other 12 hours of each day. Over the 14 days I rowed 1,074,000m. We raised £3,000 for four charities, the Stroke Association, Daft as a Brush Cancer Patient Care, St Oswald's Hospice and Mind.
In 2022 I was asked to take part in the 2022/23 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, standing in for an injured crew member. I rowed with Team Emotive in aid of the charity www.veteransatease.org raising over £40,000. We completed the race in 45 days 1 hour and 54 minutes. It was another great experience.
In 2022 I launched the Adventurers Drinks Company. Whilst it is a commercial business, that develops and market drinks inspired by adventurers and the iconic land and seas scapes they explore, I work with the adventurers to support charities close to their hearts.
In 2024 I launched Explorers Grand Slam Gin, inspired by Sir David Hempleman-Adams, and auctioned ten signed bottles raising over £1,000 for Prostate Cancer UK.
In 2025 I launched Everest Gin, inspired by Kenton Cool, and through sales, particularly of Limited Edition signed bottles, we have donated over £1,500 to the Gurkha Welfare Trust.
In 2025 I launched Seas the Day Pacific Ocean Rum inspired by Miriam Payne and Jess Rowe who complete an 8,000 mile unsupported row across the pacific ocean from Peru to Australia. A proportion of proceeds go to Seas the Day.