The annual Wirral Coastal Kayak raises £12,000 for charity

Charity kayak team

A 38-strong team of kayakers paddled 14 miles around the Wirral Peninsula to raise thousands of pounds for charity.

The annual Wirral Coastal Kayak, which is now in its fifth year, has raised £12,ooo in total for charities including Claire House Children’s Hospice, Stroke Foundation, Wirral MS Society, Stick ‘n’ Step Charity, RNLI and British Heart Foundation.

The 38-strong team taking on the Wirral Coastal Kayak
The 38-strong team taking on the Wirral Coastal Kayak

Mark Pearson, Events Fundraising Manager at Claire House Children’s Hospice, said: “We had a fantastic group of fundraisers take on the Wirral Coastal Kayak.

“Thirty-eight kayakers set off from Seacombe at 5am and paddled around the Wirral peninsula and Hilbre Island, arriving at Thursaston at around 3.30pm.

“For some of the participants, it was the first time that they had ever kayaked.”

The Wirral Coastal Kayak
The Wirral Coastal Kayak

The event, which is organised by local kayaker Mike Dudley, takes place on the same day as the Coastal Walk, and has grown from just 5 people on kayaks in 2012 to 38 in 2016.

The route is approximately 14-miles long, starting in New Brighton, heading to Hilbre Island before the final leg to Thurstaston.