Stand up for Safe Water paddleboarding event raises £12,000

Frank Water’s Stand Up for Safe Water paddleboarding event on Friday 30 June raised an incredible £12,000 for communities across the globe who have no access to safe water.

Twenty-two teams paddled it out in the sun and rain in Bristol Harbour, to bring much joy, entertainment, excitement, and friendly competition all in the name of supporting safe water, hygiene, and sanitation for communities most affected by climate change.

Alongside our friends at SUP Bristol and sponsor Aquaplanet, the teams delved deep into their fancy dress drawers to bring out an array of dazzling costumes to compete alongside one another.  We had Stantec’s ‘Harry Potters’ creating magic with their paddling, the ‘Picaroons’ from Xylem taking to the seas as pirates, Arup ready to flex some muscle in their day-glow leotards, and many more!

The money raised from this year’s event will support Frank Water’s programmes including regeneration work in the remote Himalayan villages in Uttarakhand, India, as well as communities in two areas of Madhya Pradesh to develop water security plans, improve water quality for farmers, and develop spring management approaches in the Katmandu Valley, Nepal.

Lizzie Archer, Corporate Partnerships Manager, at Frank Water, said: “We’re fortunate to have so many companies supporting our charity who recognise the value and importance of water in their work, their businesses, their supply chains, and their daily lives as individuals.  Taking part in Stand Up For Safe Water brings the conversation of water scarcity and water stewardship to the forefront of people’s minds and encourages businesses to think about their own water use and how their business practices can be adapted to reduce and recycle water wherever possible. We only have a finite amount of water on this planet and we have to take care of it and share it globally.”

Tim Trew, Co-founder and Event Collaborator, of SUP Bristol said: “We had such a fun day, and it was fantastic to see so many paddlers taking part.  We’re thrilled that the event went well and raised much-needed funds for Frank Water.   In our first season of SUP Bristol my partner and I were lucky enough to paddle in Nepal in the off-season. It taught us how much we take clean water in our taps for granted at home.”

A big thank you to everyone who took part, our volunteers, and Aquaplanet for sponsoring the event and providing our paddler of the day, Molly Smyth from local design agency Kinneir Dufort’s ‘Kipper Dufort’ team, with a paddle boarding kit worth up to £600.  She was amazing on the day and showed true grit and spirit in all her races.

We look forward to returning to Bristol Harbour in 2024 for next year’s event!

Photo credit: Richard Johnson