Cornwall rowers take on the Atlantic in support of youth mental health
Four Cornish gig-rowers and former Armed Forces members are preparing to set off on an epic journey
Last updated 15th Jul 2024
Rowers in Cornwall are preparing for an epic row across the Atlantic Ocean for mental health.
Four intrepid friends from the Cornish gig-rowing community and former members of the Armed Forces will row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic to raise funds for a Cornish mental health charity for young people.
The 'Invictus Atlantic' team are aiming to raise £100,000 for the Invictus Trust by taking part in the World's Toughest Row, a gruelling 45-day crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Invictus Trust was set up by the Cowburn family from Truro in January 2011 dedicated to the memory of son and brother, 18-year-old Ben Cowburn, who took his own life after a period of mental illness.
Since then, the family has campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness of adolescent mental health in Cornwall, to provide signposting for those struggling, and to lobby for improved services. Most notably, the Trust was instrumental in establishing the first residential adolescent mental health unit in Cornwall, after a seven-year campaign.
In January this year the Invictus Trust invested £100,000 in launching a new pilot counselling service for 11 to 21-year-olds in Cornwall in partnership with another Cornish charity CLEAR, who are experts in adolescent mental health support.
The new service received over 100 referrals in the first eight days of opening and has delivered or scheduled over 1,000 counselling sessions in its first six months - demonstrating huge demand from young people in Cornwall struggling with poor mental health.
The Invictus Atlantic rowing team hopes to raise the £100,000 needed to run the counselling service for a second year. And by demonstrating the value it provides, the Invictus Trust hopes to secure a permanently funded solution for Cornwall from NHS commissioners.
Sharon Cowburn, who founded the Invictus Trust with husband Steve and daughters Sophia, Amber and Laura, said: "We're thrilled that the team has chosen Invictus Trust as their charity. We know that demand for mental health services continues to rise among young people in Cornwall, and we are offering an accessible, bespoke service, so that when a young person, or their parent, reaches out for help via WhatsApp or email, they get a swift personal response and waiting times are really minimal.
"If we can show the ongoing value of our dedicated counselling service for 11 to 21-year-olds then we hope it could be permanently funded, supporting thousands of young people and saving families the heartbreak that we still feel every day from the loss of Ben. We wish the Invictus Atlantic team all the best in their huge challenge and hope the people and businesses of Cornwall will get behind them."
The Invictus Challenge team comprises four close friends with long associations with Cornwall. They are:
• Local businessman and gig rower James Brittain-Long, 59, from Constantine.
• Former Royal Marine Commando and now teacher and school leader Paul Hayes, 61, from Falmouth.
• Former RNAS Culdrose helicopter pilot and now instructor/examiner Luke Morgan, 61, who worked in Cornwall for 12 years.
• Former Royal Engineer Officer and now global project director, David Radford-Wilson, 58, who is a frequent visitor to Cornwall over many years.
A look inside the boat:
The quartet will set off from La Gomera in the Canary Islands in early December and attempt to row 3,000 nautical miles across the Atlantic Ocean to Antigua.
They will be among 44 international boats taking part in the annual World's Toughest Row challenge, with each crew member rowing in shifts of two hours on, two hours off, 24 hours a day, for six to seven weeks.
Team member and skipper James Brittain-Long, who is a member of the Helford River Gig Club, said: "We are four old friends with deep ties to Cornwall and this is all about raising money to fund the brilliant work of the Invictus Trust, supporting the mental health of young people in Cornwall and connecting them with the help they need.
"We took delivery of our boat at the start of June and the pub talk really is over as we get down to business and the hard graft of training on land and sea. We're hugely grateful for the support we've already received and would like to thank our main sponsor Aspects Holidays, together with Seasalt Clothing, Fourth Element, and Mylor Yacht Harbour where we train."
Mandy Spencer, commercial director of Aspects Holidays which is headquartered in Hayle and is sponsoring the team, said: "This is an epic challenge for an amazing Cornish charity and we're very proud to be supporting the Invictus Atlantic team. Adolescent mental health is a huge issue and it's vital young people in Cornwall get the right support at the right time. We wish the crew all the best with their adventure."
You can find more information about the challenge on the Invictus Atlantic website.