Fishbourne resident, Simon Howes, embarked on an extraordinary endeavour. He rowed the Atlantic Ocean in record-breaking time.
His mission was clear: to raise £100,000 for The Isle of Wight Red Squirrel Trust. The trustees expressed deep appreciation for the overwhelming support directed towards Simon Howes and his ambitious objective.
Celebration at Royal Victoria Yacht Club
Following his voyage, Simon presented a cheque to the Trust. The presentation took place at The Royal Victoria Yacht Club. The event was accompanied by an enlightening talk given by Simon himself.
Helen Butler MBE, the Trust founder and chair, was present to accept the generous donation on behalf of the organisation.
Words of gratitude
Helen Butler MBE conveyed her gratitude. She said,
“We are very grateful to all of the very generous supporters who have contributed to help us get nearer to achieving our goal.”
She highlighted the Trust’s desire to establish a base for visitors. This base would serve as a place where the public can engage with the charity and learn about red squirrels.
She admitted,
“Having a base where people can visit the charity and learn about red squirrels is expected of us and we fall short at present.”
An exceptional feat
She then acknowledged Simon’s exceptional feat. Helen was especially impressed with Simon’s record-breaking effort, having bested the previous record by 43 days.
She expressed her admiration,
“It is an amazing achievement on Simon’s part, especially breaking the record by 43 days! Thank you, Simon.”
Support still welcome
For those inspired by Simon’s journey and willing to contribute, there’s good news. The Website remains open for donations.
To support, one can simply head the Atlantic Rower Website and select ‘sponsor me’.
