My name is Teresa Yonge and I am going to paddle 134 miles, the length of the Thames River, with my daughter's partner James Perkins in a 15ft open Canadian canoe on the River Stour on the Essex/Suffolk boarder in East Anglia near Colchester. Due to the Coronavirus, restrictions have been put in place to keep people closer to where they live and not sleep away from home. There is a desperate need for water storage tanks at Mutemwa Leprosy Care Centre in Zimbabwe, so this is why we are taking on this sponsored challenge.
I am very grateful to have the help and support of my daughter’s partner James Perkins as in the past I have always paddled solo and usually on the River Thames, camping wild for two and a half weeks. Times have changed and so we must as well; for now at least. We are all adapting as the world is changing and this corona pandemic is affecting us globally, so what can we do? Well, over a bottle of chilled white wine, James had a simple but good idea to go forwards by paddling the length of the River Thames but on the Stour, so we are going to use our lockdown energy to make a difference in some small way to help those at Mutemwa with their water situation.
We have 134 miles to paddle, the length of the River Thames, and that is roughly paddling the Stour six times which is only 24.2 miles long. We will be paddling the river in two or three part sections, allowing us to go home at night while abiding by the government lockdown rules. Our journey will starHit on 1st July 2020.
The navigable section of the River Stour starts at Sudbury in Suffolk, which is the birthplace of Thomas Gainsborough, one of the greatest painters in British history. The Stour meanders along from Sudbury to Cattawade through the beautiful Dedham Vale known also as Constable country. Towards the end of the river is also the birthplace of another famous painter John Constable who was born and lived not far from the River Stour in East Bergholt. The main towns and villages that are on the river between Sudbury and Cattawade are Henny Street, Bures, Nayland, Higham, Stratford St Mary, Dedham and Cattawade.
This cause is very close to my heart as the Mutemwa Leprosy Care Centre was where my uncle John Bradburne lived for the last ten years of his life, caring for the community who were living with the devastating effects of leprosy. At that time in 1969, there were more than 100 patients suffering from leprosy when John arrived, who all had bags over their heads to hide their deformities. He was appalled at the treatment these people had suffered and became totally devoted to his leprosy friends who he saw as his family until his murder in 1979.
The John Bradburne Memorial Society was set up in 1995 by Celia Brigstocke, my cousin and also John's niece to continue to support the patients at Mutemwa and to promote the story of John's incredible life. JBMS raises money through the sale of books on John's life and poetry and relies on kind donations from devoted members to help keep the Mutmewa Care Centre functioning.
Last year, John's cause for Sainthood started and is moving forward steadily, at present he has been declared a Servant of God. The situation in Zimbabwe is dire and people are suffering greatly all over the country mainly due to economic collapse. Water is a high priority right now with the droughts they have been having. So these water tanks we are raising money to buy are essential and will mean that the residents will have more stable and reliable access to water in the future.
We would be most grateful for your prayers, help and support as it will really benefit those living at Mutemwa Leprosy Care Centre.
www.justgiving.com/campaign/
This is the first of a series of blogs by Teresa Yonge, chronicling the sponsored paddle.
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