Burhill Group Limited (BGL) Chief Executive Colin Mayes and a team of golf industry professionals will be donning life jackets and picking up paddles as they take on the grueling Great Glen Kayak Challenge in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.
The eight-strong team will paddle along the 60-mile long Caledonian Canal in Scotland, from Fort William to Inverness , over three days from 7-9 September, with the target of raising £8,000 for the charity, which provides practical, medical and financial support and pushes for better cancer care.
Colin Mayes will be joined by BGL colleague Andrew Owen, Andrew Brown of Toro and golf course designer Jonathan Gaunt, as well as friends from outside the golf industry Chris Levick, John Carter, Mark Welch and Kevin Pritchard.
This is the latest in a line of demanding challenges undertaken by the group each year. Previously they have completed the Three Peaks Challenge, the London to Brighton Bike Ride and a 150-mile coast-to-coast cycle ride, amassing in excess of £50,000 for charity along the way.
“All of us are touched by cancer at some point – for me it was my mother and a very close personal friend,” said Colin Mayes. “During the darkest moments the amazing people at Macmillan offer tremendous support, comfort and understanding when it is needed most. This year we decided to do something to help those people at Macmillan continue their work, which is why eight middle-aged novice kayakers are going to attempt to complete the 95km Great Glen Kayak Challenge.”
The team have so far amassed just over half of the £8,000 and will welcome further donations through the website www.justgiving.com/teams/greatglenkayakchallenge