Churcher’s College Sixth Former raises over £3,000 for NHS Charities Together

Coronavirus may have put a stop to the 2020 Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race, but that has not stopped Churcher’s College Sixth Former, Luca Phillips Mateo from completing the 200km/125m challenge and raising over £3,000 for NHS Charities Together in the process.

Having spent every Sunday morning for the last six months training, Luca wanted to still complete the challenge virtually in a combination of rowing, running and cycling throughout the Easter holidays.

Luca explains: “The Devizes-Westminster International Canoe Marathon is not a continuous paddle, since it takes part in a canal, competitors must lift their boat out of the water at a lock, run around and place their boat back in, thus explaining the running/cycling part of my challenge.”

Luca is using this challenge to raise money for NHS Charities Together. He said, "Our NHS is going to be put under a lot of stress in the coming weeks, and so will need as much help as they can get. Which is why I am asking you to donate to this cause."

If you would like to support Luca and NHS Charities Together, you can donate on his Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/dwluca.

More about The Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon

The Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon is a marathon canoe race held every Easter over a course of 125 miles (201 km) from Devizes in Wiltshire to Westminster in central London.

Last year Churcher's students were proud to win the DW Schools' Trophy. You can read the full story here: https://www.churcherscollege.com/news/2019-04-28/Churcher-s-College-Wins-DW-School-Teams-Trophy

More about NHS Charities Together

There are more than 250 NHS charities across the UK and most of them focus on helping our hospitals do more. Collectively these charities give £1 million every day to the NHS so that people can stay well for longer and get better faster. In recent years NHS charities have funded major capital projects, pioneering research and medical equipment at our hospitals, helping patients access the best possible care when they need it most.

Find out more here: https://www.nhscharitiestogether.co.uk