Marathon Row For Georgia’s Voice

The Cornish Barbarians once again took to the waters of St Austell Bay to complete a gruelling marathon row. Following their major success in 2023, raising £7673 for Penhaligon’s Friends, the Cornish Barbarians Pilot Gig Club Committee invited gig rowers from across the country to step up and ‘Earn Their Stripes’.

On the 10th of August, the 2024 cohort of 54 rowers and 9 coxswains embarked on an epic 26.2-mile coastal journey at dawn. They rowed through the day in crews they had never rowed in before, facing all that the Cornish elements had to throw at them. This year’s event was notably tougher, with fewer breaks, no crew swaps, and a route that ventured into new territories.

Photo credit: Fran Ingram

This mentally and physically demanding challenge was in aid of an incredible cause: Georgia’s Voice, a women’s suicide prevention and mental well-being charity, supporting their mission to raise essential funds to build a Lifesaving Hub for Young Women in Cornwall.

Georgia’s Voice has already established a significant network of support for young women in Cornwall, providing safe spaces where they can speak freely, be heard with empathy and understanding, and receive non-judgmental support. However, with the suicide rates among young women under 24 in the UK at their highest since records began in 1981, there is a critical need for a dedicated space in Cornwall where emotional support would be accessible whenever it was needed, not just during scheduled support group meetings.

The Georgia’s Voice Lifesaving Hub, known as Chy at the Village and The Village Kitchen, is set to fill this gap. It will be a sanctuary where young women can come together, receive emotional support, build connections, and find their “village.” This facility, the first of its kind in Cornwall, will also include a café that will sustainably support the hub, offering a space for young women to learn new skills, express themselves, and nurture their mental health.

The Georgia’s Voice Lifesaving Hub, known as Chy at the Village and The Village Kitchen, is set to fill this gap. It will be a sanctuary where young women can come together, receive emotional support, build connections, and find their “village.” This facility, the first of its kind in Cornwall, will also include a café that will sustainably support the Lifesaving Hub, offering a space for young women to learn new skills, express themselves, and nurture their mental health.

Georgia’s Voice aims to raise £50,000 to bring the Lifesaving Hub to life, and every penny raised by the Cornish Barbarians during the Marathon Row will contribute to this goal.

The Cornish Barbarians hoped to raise £10,000 for Georgia’s Voice’s, and by the 6th of August, over £7,000 had already been raised, with more than £9,000 tallied by the 7th of August. There’s still time to help them reach their goal, click here to donate.

We can’t wait to find out the final total.

Well done to everyone involved. Keep being Stripey Legends!