Cambridge to Oxford Charity Punt

While most students will be sleeping off the excesses of May Week, four Cambridge students will be setting off on a 200 mile, 12 day long punt trip.

The adventure is in support of Help for Heroes, a charity aiding British veterans wounded in current conflicts.

The four intrepid travellers- Toby Dickens, Rebecka Kiff, Andy Marshall and Karl Williams- aim to raise £2000 for the worthy cause.

The crew will depart from Jesus Lock on Saturday 19th June, and arrive at the Great Meadow in Oxford on Wednesday 30th.

Their 200 mile route will take them along the Cam, the Great Ouse, the Middle Level Navigations, the River Nene, the Grand Union Canal, the Oxford Canal and finally the River Cherwell.  

En route, they will do battle with countervailing currents, navigate 113 locks and a mile long tunnel, and resist the temptations of riverside pubs. 

However, in the opinion of crew-member Toby Dickens, ‘the real challenge is the very impracticality of punting!’

Colleague Karl Williams says: ‘we have to get up at 6.00am to punt to Granchester and back thrice a week in preparation. At least it gets us up early during revision term I suppose’.

The adventurers prepare

Photo: Jerome Woodwark

Help For Heroes seeks to help those returning from combat with physical and psychological injuries that can prove lifelong.

Andy Marshall says, ‘the commitment shown by our armed forces to doing their duty must be matched by ours; to provide the assistance needed by those wounded in our service’.

Online donations page and map: https://www.bmycharity.com/punt