Help

I have created a JustGiving page to raise £5,000 to help set up and launch LET'S PADDLE, a not for profit community interest company to help reduce stress and PTSD in our Emergency Services and Armed Forces. It would be amazing if you could help get me started.

Find out more on our basic website:

Let's Paddle Website

Mission

Let's paddle is a brand new non for profit community interest company that Chris Harvey and Lisa Pope are attempting to formally launch in 2020. Please help us to get this company off to a flying start and begin making a difference to people out in our communities that are suffering from the trauma and exhaustion of stress. Our goal is to build happier, healthier and stronger communities.

Our Story

In 2018 Lisa Pope and Chris Harvey met at a paddleboarding instructors course, where Chris spoke passionately about his desire to get disabled people out onto the water . A short time afterwards, Lisa and Chris teamed up to take a team of firefighters out paddleboarding in order to destress. After witnessing first hand the benefits of this session Lisa decided to join forces with Chris and together they set up a new community interest company 'Let's Paddle' (formerly know as Services SUPport)

Cambridge evening News video clip on a session with London Firefighters

Let’s Paddle ran a number of free pilot sessions during 2019. These sessions demonstrated the amazing benefits that water based activities can bring to mental health and general wellbeing. The participants were able to completely relax, exercise and switch off from their normal everyday stresses.

During 2020 Let’s Paddle will launch by providing paddleboarding sessions to staff and families of the Police, Fire, Health and Armed Forces. The company then aims to expand to provide community support to others, for example care-givers, children and entire families suffering from stress caused by the demands of modern life or the effects of a family member with a mental health condition.

Why We Need Financial Help

Lisa has taken a year off from her normal teaching job to spend time setting up the company, fundraising and running the paddleboarding sessions. So far Chris and Lisa have paid for all the start up costs themselves, however this will not be sustainable going forward. We need help so that we can give this venture our best shot at a proper launch during 2020. We will need money to get up and running and to seek streams of income that will keep the company ticking over in a sustainable way for years to come. We already have access to a large amount of equipment, however need extra funds for advertising, marketing, website building, administration costs and to run the actual sessions at a subsidised cost to those in need.

Please help this worthwhile venture!!

Who We Are

Chris currently volunteers with “The Wave Project” charity, which provide surf sessions for children with a broad range of mental health issues and has witnessed first-hand the amazing benefits provided by immersive water sports.

Lisa experienced the trauma of living with a parent suffering from a mental health condition. She has a deep appreciation of the importance of providing activities for whole family participation in order to promote happiness and adhesion through difficult times.