CK Sup and Paddle
Byron Baker-Brown, founder of CK Sup & Paddle in Bath, has enthusiastically supported Dorothy House Hospice Care since 2020 and has raised a phenomenal total of £45,455.75 for the patients, families and carers.
Byron's earlier career
As a result of having two strokes, Byron was forced to take early retirement in 2015 from Avon & Somerset Police.
"I am a ticking time bomb; life is short! Off the back of a bet with a police colleague, I bought 50 kayaks from China just for fun and planned to sell them on at Game Fairs," says Byron.
Plans progressed from providing kayak demos to eventually setting up a school, and CK Sup & Paddle was formed in 2019. As one of the first social distancing activities outside, it was able to continue at the ease of lockdown.
Connection with Dorothy House
In 2020, The Boathouse pub and riverside neighbour to CK Sup & Paddle supported Dorothy House as their 'Charity of the Year'.
This ignited Byron's connection to Dorothy House. Having previously run fundraising events for other charities, he came up with the idea of The Big Avon Paddle event to raise money for the charity!
"My Mother-in-Law worked at St Peter's Hospice in Bristol, so I have always known about the work of a hospice. There has always been a link there."
Byron wanted to give something back after his Father-in-Law died of cancer. "All are touched in some way by cancer, and it's important to be able to help the Hospice as well as individuals."
By providing paddleboarding activities to support Dorothy House's bereaved teenagers, "I have helped make them smile, it's amazing to work with teens. I have become close to a boy who was bereaved and didn't speak; I helped teach him to paddle board and see him turn his life around."
Read Max's story about getting on board with The Big Avon Paddle here.
The Big Avon Paddle event and why it's so special
Now in its 4th year, The Big Avon Paddle event provides a physical way to raise money. In turn, it raises awareness for Dorothy House. This year, participants can select from two routes or paddle a mix of both routes as many times as they wish. They can also choose from a variety of paddle-powered crafts. There's even an optional Pirate Theme.
"It's fun, absolute fun! It's a BIG social event day and a fantastic community event; everyone can get involved. A personal achievement and a personal goal for the people taking part. You can join family and friends, plus enjoy free food/drink if taking part. There's the pub, an outside bar, and music entertainment and stalls; what's not to like?!"
Race the Dragon Event
This fundraising event took place on bank holiday Monday, 27 May, and involved teams of 5 people paddling dragonboards in 400-metre sprint races. Byron started it last year as an additional fundraiser for Dorothy House.
Corporate donations all year round
In addition to fundraising events, CK Sup & Paddle has set up a tap and pay facility for those wanting to self-launch their craft.
This popular option provides an additional £2,500 - £3,000 per year for Dorothy House. Specifically, each £5 donation goes straight to support the Hospice.
In three years, CK Sup & Paddle have raised an amazing £45,455.75 for Dorothy House Hospice. Byron is keen to carry on raising awareness, money and smiles. Amazingly, he has already set himself a new goal of hitting a £60,000 fundraising target!
You can follow them on Facebook here.