Following a request to the National Community Boat Association, www.national-cba.co.uk/ we learned at the weekend that Dream Achievers, based at Shipley on the L&L will provide a crew and boat as a support vessel for the Challenge.

Trevor Roberts who runs Dream Achievers www.dreamachievers.co.uk/and who is also Chair of the NCBA has galvanized some volunteers who will provide and man a second vessel which will become the mess and overnight accommodation for the support kayakers and staff.

Dream Achievers is the wholly owned trading arm of the Bradford Motor Education Project whose aim is to provide young people with new skills in support of their personal and social development and has been established for the past 21 years. The crew will be made up of such young people and supervised by existing staff.

Trevor said," When the NCBA were approached on this project, quite apart from being able to support Justin’s remarkable ability to meet such a challenge, its exactly the sort of project we like to be involved with to provide our young people, some disadvantaged, with new horizons."

The volunteers will be able to plan logistics, operate locks, sort out catering and domestic duties on board during the trip and Trevor hopes to be able to provide several crews on a relay basis to give as wide an opportunity as possible.

Justin Hansen, whose condition means he is on a stoma and has "total parenteral nutrition" and will be connected at all times to intravenous nutrition said, "The voluntary support we are receiving from the canal community is so overwhelming, it will really help us get the right rest and backup to complete our aims!."

Richard Carpenter, NABO General Secretary is providing his boat Elysium as support for Justin. Details on the project can be found at Gutless Kayaking gutlesskayaking.com