Shrewsbury to Gloucester Canoe Challenge

Between 9 – 16 September 2021, Lee Page and his partner Natalie are attempting to canoe all the way from Shrewsbury to Gloucester along the River Severn to raise money for the Shrewsbury Ark Homeless Charity and Salute, a local counselling service specialising in helping people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Both charities are very close to Lee’s heart.

Lee is an Army veteran who fought from 1994 to 2007 in various conflicts around the world – he was in Bosnia providing humanitarian aid with United Nations and was also in Iraq and Afghanistan. These conflicts have affected his mental health ever since.

After returning home to his wife in 2007, sadly his relationship broke down because he was suffering from unacknowledged PTSD, depression and anxiety. This led to him starting to self-medicate using drugs and alcohol to “forget” and numb the pain of his trauma.

Despite this, in 2011, Lee has previously raised money for Air Ambulance and gave him a much-needed boost to his mental resilience.

However, he was still struggling with his undiagnosed PTSD and he first made contact with the Ark in 2014 when he went through a short spell of rough sleeping prior to meeting Natalie. Together they have made a strong team, but life is hard, and further spells of homelessness followed.

Lee returned to the Ark in 2020, where he has access to weekly counselling sessions with Salute. He was also offered temporary accommodation which acted as a stepping stone for him and Natalie to be offered a flat. They moved in together in October 2020, have settled in really well and are successfully managing their tenancy. They now have a car and Lee picks up the odd bit of work when he can. They also have a dog called Titch, who is given free veterinary care through the Ark’s StreetVet Partnership.

Lee has stated that the Ark has given him and Natalie the confidence to get back on their feet and said that “Everything we have achieved is thanks to the Ark” so they have decided to do this challenge to repay some of the kindness and practical help that the Ark has given them.

We would like to thank Shrewsbury Canoe Hire for providing the canoe and overseeing the event. Also, thank you to Shropshire Search and Rescue, and Armed Forces Outreach Team. Their generosity has made this fundraising event possible.