A GROUP of teenage friends canoed 90 miles down the River Wye to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

The group of friends, Tom Clayton, Arlo Purton, Casper Gibson, Monty Vaughan, Joe Jansson, Josef Preston and Idris Gillik canoed from Glasbury and worked their way down the river for over a week to finish at Brockweir Bridge.

The group of friends, aged 15, have taken on this challenge as some of them have seen their own family members battle cancer, experiencing the impact firsthand.

Tom’s mum died from cancer in 2020, the week before lockdown and Joe’s mother died from cancer in 2018.

They stayed at Lockster’s Pool, Byecross, Hereford, Hoarwithy, Ross-on-Wye, and Monmouth during their challenge.

Overall, they have raised an insane amount of money, which will go to the Cancer Research charity, raising over £5000, hitting way above their initial target of £1000.

Tom, one of the participants in the challenge said: “I think we have gotten a lot closer in the last week, just with everyone in general.”

“I think one thing that’s been brought up quite a lot is a bad reputation on younger people, said Tom.

“We are trying to raise awareness and inspire people to do similar things.”

“Cancer Research sent me a book of what you can do with the money raised and it’s quite interesting to see what you can do.”

Tom advises anyone who wants to do something similar to bring a lot of dry bags and to plan ahead, as well as knowing where and when you are getting your next meal and water from.

All together, these friends efforts have made an impact and turned a long lasting adventure into making a real difference for charity.

To support their journey, you can here:https://gofund.me/9b6687c3