A BUDE woman has completed a 20km surf ski paddle in aid of Animal Free Research UK.
The sun shone on Jackie Diffey as she set off on her 20km surf ski paddle on bank holiday Monday. Jackie was accompanied part of the way by her husband and other members of Bude Surf Life Saving Club, who helped keep up morale over the three and a half hours it took to complete the challenge.
Jackie said: “It gets said so often but Bude is an amazing place! The support and encouragement really kept me going especially at the end when it felt like paddling through treacle. There were so many people shouting encouragement all along the canal. It was tough but worth it to raise the profile of animal free research, what it can achieve and to be able to send such a wonderful sum to a project we have actually visited. It truly is such a worthwhile cause.”
Animal Free Research UK, Professor Lorna Harries and Dr Nicola Jeffery, who lead the diabetes research at Exeter University Medical School, were quick to congratulate Jackie. Professor Harries tweeted ‘Jackie you legend! I promise you we will do great things with it!’
.jpeg?width=209&height=140&crop=209:145,smart&quality=75)
Steph Jones-Giles, community ambassador for the group, thanked Jackie for fronting the 2019 campaign in such style. She said it was an ‘incredibly emotional moment’ when Jackie approached the finish with many people clapping and cheering.
Jackie set out to raise funds for this ground-breaking diabetes research in memory of her mother and with the generosity of friends, family and strangers her target was truly smashed.
Alongside the paddle, some volunteers ran a stall selling raffle tickets to members of the public, to inrease the funds raised for the animal welfare charity. One photo, donated by Tom Peters (Photo Ninja) was popular as a raffle prize and the group were very fortunate to have the support of Mat and Kate Sampson who gave the group a base to set up stall.
This £1,500 is a huge boost to the diabetes fund, which stands at just over £2,000 so far this year. The Bude group has lots of other events planned so watch this space.