Supporting charitable events

The team at Paqualife are passionate about supporting charities that are close to their hearts. To date they have been involved in supporting events raising money for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), Combat Stress and Isle Stand Up to Suicide and they hope to support more in the future. Take a look at the incredible challenges these guys have done with the help of an MRS packraft…

1. Mark’s Paddling Marathon for CALM (2022)

Mark Houghton set out to paddle every single body of still water in the Lake District – all the lakes, meres, waters and even remote mountain tarns (120 in total) – a feat never been done before. His aim was to raise awareness and money for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) – a national mental health charity aiming to combat suicide. “I’ve lost two family members to suicide including my grandad and felt the need to do something to try to make a difference” says Mark when interviewed by the Lancaster Guardian.

Mark wanted to combine his love of the outdoors and the Lake District with a paddling challenge that had never been done before, which is where the idea came from. The problem came with what type of craft could allow access to remote lakes and tarns and be small and light enough to carry up mountains? Well, Mark reached out to us at Paqualife and were more than happy to provide him with the equipment he needed to complete his challenge. The MRS Tulo weighs in at 2.27kg and rolls small enough to strap on the outside of a backpack or fit easily inside a 25L rucksack. With a 4-piece paddle and the use of his own PFD, Mark was set.

“A lot of the places I’ll be paddling are quite remote so everything has to be carried – having a boat that weighs so little will be ideal for the job” Mark said.

Mark completed his challenge in 18 months and raised almost £1000 for CALM.

Click here to read the article from the Lancaster Guardian: Lancaster grandfather begins unique year long charity paddling challenge (lancasterguardian.co.uk)

CALM: Homepage | Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) (thecalmzone.net)

2.  Step Away From The Screens – River Wye, From Source to Severn for Combat Stress (2023)

155miles of hiking, biking and packrafting over 4 days with all equipment carried for the duration of the trip, all in aid of Combat Stress – a veteran’s mental health charity. Being ex-military himself, Nobby was acutely aware of the impact combat can have on ones mental health. So Nobby , his brother and a friend set out on this adventure after contacting Paqualife for support in supplying a 3-man packraft. Luckily, we had our Paqualife branded Trio packraft, designed by us as a stand-out advertising feature often displayed at trade shows, which fit the bill perfectly.

Take at look at their journey: 155 Miles in 4 Days Hiking, Biking and Rafting. River Wye From Source to Severn (youtube.com)

Want to see more from Step away from the Screens?

YouTube: Step away from the screens – YouTube

Instagram: @step_away_from_the_screens

3. Manx Adventure Swim Against Suicide for Isle Stand Up to Suicide (2024)

David Higson plans to swim solo around the Isle of Man towing an MRS Microraft packraft with all the food/equipment/camping and safety equipment he needs to complete the challenge which he envisages to take 4-5 days. He has been training all winter in preparation and aims to swim 20 miles a day in order to complete the challenge, one he believes has never been done before. David will be raising awareness and money for the Isle of Man’s only suicide prevention charity which is completely run by volunteers, of which David wished to become but could not continue due to his own personal experiences with suicide. He endeavoured however to help this small charity by dedicating this challenge to them.

Follow David’s progress on Facebook: Manx Adventure Swim Against Suicide. IOM

Donate now: Crowdfunding to Raise money for Isle Stand up to Suicide. A Suicide Prevention Helpline in the Isle of Man. on JustGiving

Click here to read the article from Three FM: Local man aims to swim around the Island to raise money for charity – 3FM Isle of Man (three.fm)

Isle Stand up to Suicide: Home | IsleStandUpToSuicide

Need a packraft for your charity challenge? Get in touch and tell us about your idea.