The big picture: Mark Brennan, chair of the Hadleigh Royal British Legion branch, launched his coastal kayaking challenge on New Year's Day in tribute to Suffolk-born Royal Marine veteran Gregg Packham, who died aged 38 in November 2023.
Why it matters: The challenge aims to:
Raise awareness about mental health challenges facing veterans
Support two Suffolk organisations helping ex-service personnel
Honour the memory of a local serviceman
What they're saying: "Far too many of our armed forces veterans are struggling and still fighting their own personal battles long after they have left the service and more needs to be done to support them," says Brennan.
Gregg's sister Nikki described feeling "humbled and touched" by the tribute: "It was really quite touching that someone would do this in memory of Gregg without even having known him. Gregg would have loved to do something like this."
By the numbers:
Initial fundraising target: £1,000
Amount raised so far: £2,350
Challenge duration: 12 months
Packham's age at death: 38
How to support: To follow Mark's progress or make a donation, visit his JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/suffolk-coast-kayak-challenge
The bottom line: The funds raised will support the Suffolk RBL County Committee and the Combat2Coffee Outreach Team, two local organisations providing welfare support to veterans and their families.
