Return to all postsReturn to all resources
Kayak the Thames - Our Mission to Support the British Heart Foundation

Kayak the Thames - Our Mission to Support the British Heart Foundation

Written by
Adam Castleton
Published

May 31, 2017

Category
Startle news

On Saturday 17th June, a team of 10 absolute beginners will set off on a five day challenge to Kayak the Thames!

Made up of Startle employees, friends and family, Team Finn will be kayaking thirty miles of the River Thames each day, all to raise money for the British Heart Foundation's research into Congenital Heart Defects.

Team Finn’s Motivation

Kayak the Thames was arranged by Startle's founder, Adam, who sadly lost his 6 month-old son to a congenital heart condition in December 2015.

When baby Finn was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome shortly after birth, he had to undergo major heart surgery, and his family were told that he would need at least two more operations within the first few years of life.

After a difficult but successful first operation and a following seven weeks in hospital, Finn was able to go home. His parents, Adam and Amalie, cherished a few happy weeks getting to know him. With his delightful nature, he charmed passersby and allowed his parents to rest while he slept peacefully through the night.

Finn, Adam and Amalie

Four weeks into normality, Finn was assessed for his second operation, but his heart was too weak and the surgery could not be completed. Sadly, Finn’s condition deteriorated in the following months.

After being transferred to Great Ormond Street hospital for a heart transplant assessment, Adam and Amalie learnt that a transplant would not be possible. It was then that they had to say goodbye to Finn, peacefully in their arms.

About the Challenge

Every day, 12 babies in the UK are diagnosed with a heart defect. To help children just like Finn, the team are on a mission to raise £10,000 for the British Heart Foundation, who fund lifesaving research into the causes and treatments of Congenital Heart Defects.

Infographic showing congenital heart disease statistics

Team Finn will travel a gruelling thirty miles a day to get from their starting point, Lechlade, to Tower Bridge in London. Over the five days, they’ll be making their way through Oxford, Marlow, Streatley and Kingston, crossing a total of forty-five locks en-route!

Read more about the fantastic work the British Heart foundation do on the Kayak the Thames website.

As reluctant sportspeople, the kayakers have been getting in practice over the past twelve months at every opportunity. They’ve battled with injuries and confrontational weather, and even narrowly missed an unexploded WW2 bomb in the waters!

Needless to say, the challenge will not be easy.

How You Can Help

We’re gathering as much support for Kayak the Thames as we can - to cheer on Team Finn, help them see their 150-mile journey through, and to ultimately hit their £10,000 target for the British Heart Foundation.

To help us spread the word, please go ahead and share our posts with your friends and family. You can find out more on Facebook and Twitter, where we’ve been sharing updates on Team Finn’s kayaking practices and will be posting live updates throughout the five-day challenge!

If you can spare a few pounds to donate directly to the charity and help to make a real difference to the lives of heart disease sufferers across the UK, please visit the fundraising page.

Thank you!

Lastly, we’d like to say a massive thank you to everybody who has helped Kayak the Thames so far. To anyone who made a donation or contributed to the challenge in any way, we hugely appreciate your support.

See you on the water!

Map of the kayak route

Heard enough?

Ready to create standout customer experiences? Get in touch to find out how we can use music and tech to help you achieve your goals.

Request a quote
Rotary phone

Heard enough?

Music is powerful, but using it with intention takes skill. Chat to our team today to find out how our behavioural-science backed, curated playlists could help you achieve your goals.

Tell me more
Woman dancing

Heard enough?

Seeing is believing. Engaging your customers through vibrant visual displays can be a game-changer in your retail or hospitality experience. Chat to our team today to find out how our dynamic digital signage solution could help you achieve your goals.

Tell me more
Woman's face

Heard enough?

Live sport has been at the heart of many pubs for decades. Chat to our team today to find out how Arena, our automated, all-inclusive sports promotion platform, could help you achieve your goals.

Tell me more
People watching sports in a pub

Heard enough?

Your environment is always changing. Chat to our team today to find out how using our invaluable insights to auto-adjust your atmosphere could help you achieve your goals and fine-tune your operations.

Tell me more
Happy woman eating in restaurant

Heard enough?

Replicate a perfectly curated atmosphere across an entire estate, all from a single platform. Chat to our team today to find out how using Studio could help you achieve your goals.

Tell me more
Technoology

Heard enough?

Creating something so deeply subjective as an atmosphere without a strong understanding of human behaviour is kind of silly. Chat to our team today to find out how behavioural science can be applied to help you achieve your goals.

Tell me more
People walking

Heard enough?

Dedicated management, free player replacements, 24/7/365 support… what you want, baby we got it. Chat to our team today to find out how relentless our Relentless Support™ really are.

Tell me more
Man with headphones

Heard enough?

Creating a standout retail experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to create a till ringing atmosphere and help you achieve your goals.

Tell me more
Clothes on rack

Heard enough?

Creating a standout restaurant experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to serve up the perfect atmospheres in your restaurants and help you achieve your goals.

Tell me more
Restaurants kitchen

Heard enough?

Creating a standout coffee shop experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to brew the perfect atmospheres for your cafes and help you achieve your goals.

Tell me more
Cafe

Heard enough?

Creating a standout pub experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and pint-sized tech to create the perfect atmosphere and help get the drinks flowing.

Tell me more
People celebrating in pub

Heard enough?

Creating a standout hotel experience isn’t easy. Check out (or in) how we can use music and tech to create the perfect atmospheres and help you achieve your goals by chatting to our team today.

Tell me more
Restaurant table with cutlery

Heard enough?

Creating a standout gym experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to get your atmospheres into perfect shape and help you achieve your goals.

Tell me more
Gym equipment

Heard enough?

Creating a standout salon experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to create an atmosphere with the perfect finish and help you achieve your goals.

Tell me more
Salon equipment

Heard enough?

Creating a standout office experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to create atmospheres that work as hard as your customers.

Tell me more
Co-working space

Heard enough?

Creating a standout spa experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to create the perfect peaceful atmosphere and help you achieve your goals.

Tell me more
Towels and insense

Heard enough?

Creating a standout ship experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to create the perfect atmospheres for your cruise ships and help you achieve your goals.

Tell me more
Beach with cruise ship in background
Kayak the Thames - Our Mission to Support the British Heart Foundation

Adam Castleton

With 15 years of experience working in technology, Adam is our strategic and savvy CEO. It’s his job to lead Startle, ensuring that we have a positive impact on both our customers and our team, by delivering innovation and growth in a positive culture. When he’s not at work, he tries hard to switch off by spending time outside with his wife and kids - his self proclaimed ‘happy place’ is having a wander in the forest on a sunny day.

Say hello on LinkedIn

Hey, we've just met you and this is crazy. But here's our number +44 (0)203 397 7676. So, call us maybe?

  • Number of locations *