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David Suchet Launches Rivertime Boat
The Trustees of Rivertime Boat Trust welcomed David Suchet to Henley on Tuesday to celebrate the official launch of ‘Rivertime’ the specially commissioned boat for use by disabled and disadvantaged people in the Thames Valley. ‘Rivertime’ is now operational from its permanent base at the River & Rowing Museum at Henley, with Senior Skipper Lucy Herbert in charge.
David Suchet said “ Some two years ago I met with Simon Davis at the first Get Afloat event on a very cold day at Hambleden Lock. As we sat shivering he told me that he and his wife Pat had a plan to raise sufficient funds to build and operate a boat for disabled and disadvantaged children and adults on the River Thames between Windsor and Oxford as there was no such boat on this reach.
Naturally, being Chairman of the River Thames Alliance, I was fascinated and delighted and asked Simon to keep me informed. Well, here we all are and the dream has come true. 'Rivertime' is now a reality thanks to the efforts of the Trustees, Paul Wagstaffe, Jonathan Hobbs, together with Simon and Pat Davis.
I know how much all of you here have contributed not only with fundraising but helping in so many other ways. It is impossible to single out any one individual, charitable trust or organisation as so much support has been received from so many people.
However we have here Dick Darkin and Steve Stanley of AlphaCraft who built the boat at the company's yard at St Olaves near Norwich. What a great achievement, you must be very proud to see 'Rivertime' here at the start of her career on the river.
Here is a small 'thank-you' from the Rivertime Boat Trust for all your hard work, which will give so many children so much pleasure. In fact this event brings to a close the development stage of the Rivertime Boat Trust and I know that the Trustees are very grateful to the River & Rowing Museum not only for providing this lovely venue for us this evening but also for their ongoing involvement in taking all the bookings for the boat.
Now is the moment to drink a toast to 'Rivertime' and to thank Waitrose for providing the wine and supporting the Trust by seconding Heather Rowell. All that remains to be said is that I wish Lucy Herbert, Rivertime's skipper, and 'Rivertime' many years of happy cruising."
There is a dedicated telephone number for bookings 01491 415 605 and email bookings@rrm.co.uk
For general enquiries and photos contact Simon Davis 01628 780700 or email boating@rivertimeboattrust.org.uk
Launched: Rivertime boat for disabled hits the water
A river-loving couple were relishing their hard work when their custom built boat for the disabled took to the water for the first time on Friday.
Longtime riverside residents Simon and Pat Davis didn't realise what a journey they would go on after they sold up their Rivertime boat business after 15 years and decided to give something back by setting up a charity.
In under two years they have seen their dream of creating a boat offering trips for disabled and disadvanted children and adults, grow from a pipe dream to a hard-nosed reality.
The £150,000 Rivertime boat was lowered into the water at Bushnells Boat yard in Wargrave.
The 42 ft boat was specially designed by Naval Architect Andrew Wolstenholme, specially designed with a lift to lower wheelchair passengers inside, wide open spaces inside for wheelchair users, a disabled toilet and joystick to operate the boat and a hearing loop installed for hearing aid users.
It can hold up to 12 people and can cater for up to four wheelchair users. Boat trips will run along the Middle Thames between Windsor and Oxford.
If you are interested in booking the boat, call 01491 415 605 or email bookings@rrm.co.uk.
For general enquiries contact 01628 780700 or email boating@rivertimeboattrust.org.uk.
£160,000 boat for the disabled launched
Something extraordinary happened on the Thames at Wargrave last week when a boat for disabled and disadvantaged children and adults was launched.
For the boat, Rivertime, was paid for entirely by donations and its cost of £160,000 was raised in just 18 months. Then it was specially built and delivered in record time.
The couple at the heart of raising the cash, by sheer hard work and persuasion, are Simon Davis and his wife Pat.
“We have had an amazing response,” Mr. Davis, a trustee of the Rivertime Trust, told the Standard. “People have been extraordinarily generous giving anything from £10 to £15,000.”
His wife, Pat, said: “We really wanted to do something — to put something back. And this was a brilliant answer. People really benefit from a day out on the river. It is a very simple pleasure.”
The boat was built by Alpha Craft of Norfolk and was transported to Wargrave. There at the launch ceremony at which Mrs. Davis poured champagne over the Rivertime’s bow, the new boat was lowered by crane into the Thames.
Lucy Herbert, who is the third generation of her family to work on the Thames, is the new skipper of Rivertime.
Jonathan Hobbs, another trustee, said he was very pleased with her appointment, “Our charity is really fortunate to have Lucy on board. She is a highly experienced skipper and boatmaster who has been with the Environment Agency for many years.
“I am sure that she and Rivertime will form an excellent partnership and bring great happiness to the many disabled and disadvantaged children and adults who will be benefitting from their boating experience.”
Bookings for the boat, which will be based at the River and Rowing Museum can be made by using a dedicated telephone number, 01491415605 or email bookings@rrm.co.uk.
Henley Festival is working with the Rivertime Boat Trust to allow Headway clients to enjoy this year’s Henley Festival in style. Henley Festival funds music therapy sessions for brain-injured clients at Headway in Henley and has this year teamed up with the trust to bring groups of those clients to Wednesday’s festival opening night.
Headway clients will be treated to a mini-cruise before being brought to the festival enclosure in time for the main stage concert.
For more information contact info@henley-festival.co.uk or visit the website, www.henley-festival.co.uk. For more information about the Rivertime Boat Trust visit www.rivertimeboattrust.org.uk.
To watch the interview please click here.