Sheringham priest to row 85 miles for charity

Revd Christina Rees CBE, Associate Priest at St Peter’s Church in Sheringham, has joined forces with a fellow campaigner to kayak 85 miles as part of a paddling fundraiser for two charities.

Alongside Patrick Forbes, a former Merchant Navy Radio Officer before following his calling to become a priest, Christina will set off from Bedford on Monday 11 August once a blessing is given by the Bishop of Bedford, the Right Reverend Richard Atkinson. The pair’s journey will take in Cambridgeshire towns including St Neots and St Ives. They will then travel the waterways eastwards for six days until they arrive at their final destination - King’s Lynn.
 
They are undertaking the epic challenge to support two charities - The Li Tim-Oi Foundation and its work to support women around the world, and the Tibbs Dementia Foundation.
 
Christina is no stranger to life on the water, with her hobbies including not only kayaking but also sea swimming off the North Norfolk coast. Her early years were spent on a sailboat with her family exploring the East coast of America, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean seas.
 
She said: “I love kayaking but I’ve never done such a long journey, especially in a two-seater kayak! If I start running out of steam, I’ll remind myself why I’m doing this – so that more women will have the funds to train for what they feel called to do.”
 
Christina and Patrick share a similar past, with both being writers and broadcasters, as well as having been called to ministry. Her 86-year-old fellow kayaker is also a veteran fundraiser, having been one of just 117 people to take part in a charity walk through the Channel Tunnel before it opened in 1994.
 
Donations to the Li Tim-Oi Foundation and Tibbs Dementia Foundation are being welcomed via the JustGiving website.
 
This story is based on an article by the Diocese of Norwich, who also supplied the photo.

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