Pilgrim Bandits Charity www.pilgrimbandits.org is setting off on October 18th on its next hardcore expedition. Injured servicemen and veterans from the Army and Navy will kayak and camp along 300 miles of South Africa’s Orange River supported by experienced members of the charity and fee-paying civilian participants who have been selected and trained to take part.
Andre Edwards, expedition organiser and general manager for the specialist military charity based in New Milton, Hants, explains. “This is a challenging trip, broken up with some awesome R&R activities. For eight days of the trip, we will be in kayaks for up to 10 hours at a time. On rest days, the lads will enjoy sampling local produce, diving with Great White sharks and enjoying the safari adventures that South Africa is so well known for.”
Pilgrim Bandits was founded a decade ago to offer challenging missions around the world that rebuild self-belief and confidence. Earlier this year injured service men and women retraced the immortal Operation Frankton, a WW2 kayak mission in France.
The injured taking part:
Jake Bartlett – Leeds
Vince Manley -Plymouth
Richard Wilkinson – Burnley
Martyn Compton – London
Mark Hince – Cheltenham
Mark Allen – London
Tyler Christopher Wales – Tyler is an Ambassador for Pilgrim Bandits
Ed McMahon – IOM
Also taking part
Melissa Hensleigh, Bournemouth
Colonel Tim Collins, – Kent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Collins_(British_Army_officer)
Siobhan Hicks, Sussex
Mark Pinder , Hampshire
Charity Civilian Ambassador
Alex Lewis, quad amputee from Stockbridge, Hampshire
Captions: Pilgrim Bandits training in Christchurch, Dorset during Sept 2017
Right: Training on Beaulieu River during 2016 for Operation Frankton
