Message from Boris Johnson, Mayor of London:

I am pleased to send my best wishes and support to the organisers of the Thames Challenge fundraising event.

London Hospices play an immensely valuable role in providing high quality care for people approaching the end of their life. In addition, hospices offer support and advice to affected families and carers. Initiatives such as Thames Challenge help to ensure that the services offered by the hospice sector are available to as many Londoners as possible.

I wish every success to the organisers and participants in the Thames Challenge. I am proud that London is home to such an event.

Being with someone in their last days is an emotional and physical roller coaster. You know what's going to happen but you don't know when. At times you wish for it to go on for ever, other times you want it to stop right now. You have no control. The outside world carries on without flinching, but stands still for you. Eventually one life ends and yours is never the same.
   
Our father, Ken West, lost his eight year battle against prostate cancer on September 10th 2007. He fought hard until the end but eventually the disease, which had robbed him of mobility and any desire to eat won. Both of us were with him when he passed and other family and his many friends and had visited in the days before. Dad had his wish and spent his final days in The Greenwich & Bexley Cottage Hospice. He had been a frequent visitor to Shornell's Monday Club that, latterly, had been his only venture out of the house.

The Greenwich & Bexley Cottage Hospice is an amazing place. Privately funded at the cost of over £3 million per year (£2 million of which is raised by the community), the extraordinary staff provide a compassionate level of care that extends past the patient to include their family. Some how the busy staff have time to make sure the family members camped out in the ward or private room are looked after and can rustle up incredible sausage sandwiches for breakfast without batting an eyelid. No question is too silly, no request too much and information is thoughtfully explained, as many times as is necessary.

Having been looked after so well, we are both driven to help other families in the same situation, by raising money for the hospice. Simple plan. Take a two-man kayak, cover it in sponsorship and paddle downstream on the Thames finishing up at Greenwich. Raise at least £10,000.

So here we are. It's on Sunday 10th August 2008, starting at 9am from Chiswick. We have the tide with us so should finish the 18 miles in the six or so hours we've estimated it will take (including a couple of "stop offs"!).

Full details are on our website: www.thameschallenge.org.uk

Thank you for taking the time to read this page, please dig deep and help us reach our target.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Greenwich & Bexley Cottage Hospice will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

Many thanks for your support.

Nigel West & Karen Ward