Over the Easter weekend, members of the Girl Guide Association took part in a 100 mile canoe relay along the Kennett and Avon canal from Hungerford in Berkshire to Westminster, London to mark the Centenary of Girlguiding UK. The baton passed between all paddlers was a parchment which contained the following celebratory message:
"In celebration of 100 years of Guiding, 200 years of the Kennet and Avon Canal and women in sport, Guides and Guiders from all over the country (aged 11 to 81 years) have carried this parchment 100 miles in relay by canoes and kayaks from Hungerford to Westminster over the Easter weekend 2010.
With this parchment comes the message of celebration and thanks for the last 100 years of Guiding along with our best wishes and hopes that the next 100 years will continue to provide women and girls with the opportunity for personal challenges, development, fun and lasting friendships."
The 40 participants came from around the UK from as far Kirkcaldy and Chester to Banbury and Reading, Guildford and Chelmsford and ranged in age from an 8 year old Brownie to an 81 year old Trefoil Guild member. Not only was the challenge an opportunity to celebrate the Centenary of Girlguiding UK but it was also a chance to encourage more women to get involved in sport. In fact it gave many mothers the opportunity to canoe alongside or with their daughter in the same canoe.
There were a wide variety of canoe and kayaks that were paddled along the route and each participant wore something bright which added even more colour to this super event.
Above: the girls that took part
“It was such an amazing experience to be part of this team and I don’t think I’ll ever forget this weekend. I felt that it was a real challenge for me and I’m so glad I was able to complete my leg, this was definitely one of my Centenary mountain-top moments!”
“It has definitely given me the boost that I needed to start to believe in myself!”
“It was lovely to paddle with my daughter who now lives in Guildford so we don’t get this opportunity to get together very often”
“What a pleasure to share this exciting event with my daughter... I will treasure this memory forever”
“We will remember this wonderful experience and still be talking about it when Guiding celebrates its 150 years!”
Tamsin Phipps, who organised the adventure and is the Boating Advisor for Girlguiding Berkshire said, “It was a tremendous weekend. Canoeing has been very much part of Guiding for decades and is such a super sport to be involved in as families can all take part together which was very much the case in this100 mile Canoe Relay.”
Richard Benyon, MP for Newbury handed over the parchment for the start of the relay at 10.00am on Friday 2nd April and Paul Owen, Chief Executive of the British Canoe Union was on hand at Festival Pier in Westminster at 10am on Monday 5th April to receive the parchment after its 100 mile journey.