Over the last year 2516 adults and 1329 children have required Corby Foodbank’s services. A food parcel at the Food Bank contains at least 3 days' worth of nutritionally balanced meals for individuals and families. To be attending the Foodbank all clients are considered to be in 'food crisis' and as such the Foodbank aims to signpost them to an appropriate agency that can help them to get out of their situation and make them self sufficient again. This is essential for the wellbeing of clients.

To assist the Corby Foodbank in these unparalleled times, Giles and Jon are raising money through an audacious attempt to navigate the Welland river between Ashley and Stamford in homemade boats.

At this stage I should state that neither of us have a background in either woodworking or indeed canoeing. It will be a steep and perhaps wet learning curve from making a shoe rack to producing a sea-worthy vessel but a wager is a wager. We have sought the wisdom of Dick Whitehouse (real name) who is globally recognised as the Colonel Percy Fawcett of the Welland river.

On learning of the venture, Dick aka *The Patterdale Paddler” commented “make no mistake, this endeavour is a serious physical and mental challenge. They will need to combine the survival skills of Bear Grylls with the determination and endurance of marathon runners and the tree climbing skills of King Louis. The Welland that you can’t see from the bridges is a wilderness, an overgrown jungle with genuine dangers lurking around swift flowing bends and below weirs. Most of all, well, after beer, they will need a sense of humour after each swim, insect nest down the back of the neck, swan attack and every lung busting tree climb. In my opinion they either need sectioning or your money”