Stephen Brook, a volunteer for both The Safe Anchor Trust and Wooden Spoon agreed to row the 322 miles from Huddersfield to London, across 228 rivers and locks. Stephen will be accompanied by his wife Jennifer, and a support Barge put on by the Safe Anchor Trust. He is hoping to complete the journey in six weeks, and set sail on August 17th.


The support Barge put on by the Safe Anchor Trust.

Wooden Spoon are hoping that all of our supporters can go out and cheer Stephen along the route, and encourage anybody that would like to put an event on for him along the way to get in touch with us. The first of our supporters to get down there and meet Stephen and Jennifer en route was Charlie Womersley, our Manchester and Cheshire Regional Chairman. Charlie and his friends met them at Bosley Locks, near Macclesfield, Stephen had rowed 17 miles that day, and were taken for a pint or two and then sent them off for a good nights sleep.


Charlie Womersley (second from left), Jennifer Brooks and Stephen Brook (end right).

Stephen is hoping to finish on September 20th and will be greeted by a huge reception at the HSBc Rowing Club in Putney.

You can follow Stephen via his blog here.

We also really urge you to donate to this fantastic challenge, Stephen has completely undertaken this task at his own expense, and could really do with all the help and support he can get: Here is a link to donate on Stephen's Just Giving page.

The Safe Anchor Trust are based at the attractive Shepley Bridge Marina in Mirfield, the award winning trust is one of this area's most popular water based charity projects, providing boat trips on the local canal and river network for the general public and those groups who are socially disadvantaged or those with health or mobility problems.

The organisation, established in 1995, operates a number of craft which are all adapted to cater for different client groups and carried in the region of 15,000 passengers last year.

You can see the full route here:
Aug 17 SBM - Huddersfield
18 Hdd to Slaithwaite
19 Sla. to Marsden
20 Marsden to Uppermill
21 Uppml to Ashton u Lyne
22 AUL to Marple
23 Marple to Bosley Locks nr Macclesfield
24 Bosley to Kidsgrove
25 Kdsg to Stoke ( Etruria )
26 Stoke to Stone
27 Stone to Gt. Haywood
28 GH to Handsacre nr Rugeley
29 Handsacre to Whittington
30 Whittington to Polesworth
31 Polesworth to Harthill Wharf
Sept 1 HW to Whitings Bridge
2 WB to Rugby
3 Rugby to Braunston
4 Braunston to Napton
5 Napton to Fenny Compton Wharf
6 FCW to Banbury
7 Banbury to Somerton Bridge
8 SB to Kidlington
9 Kdton to Oxford
10 Oxford to Abingdon
11 Abdn to Wallingford
12 Walfd to Pangbourne
13 Pngb to Henley
14 Henley to Marlow
15 Marlow to Runneymeade
16 Runnd to Weybridge
17 Weybdg to Richmond
2 spare days
20 to finish at HSBC Rowing Club Putney