Stronger Twogether - Danube Row - Black Forest to Black Sea - Campaign Crowdfunding

Stronger Twogether: Rowing 2,400 km for Lives, Hope, and RiversSupporting LOROS Hospice • My Name’5 Doddie Foundation • The Rivers Trust
Black Forest to the Black Sea Expedition
At dawn on the Danube, the river is still, the air cold, the oars waiting. Ahead lies 2,400 km, eight countries, unpredictable weather, and weeks of physical and mental endurance. Most people look at a map of Europe and see borders. We looked at the same map and saw a question:
How can a river help change the lives of real people?
The Danube Row is our answer — a challenge born from shared purpose, shaped by loss, hope, and the belief that ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they act together.
We row for three charities whose work has touched our lives, our families, and our futures:
LOROS Hospice — dignity, comfort, and compassion at the hardest moments of life.
My Name’5 Doddie Foundation — relentless research and support for those living with MND.
The Rivers Trust — protecting the waterways that sustain us all.
Rowing the Danube makes one truth impossible to ignore: rivers are alive, and they are under threat. So are the people and families these charities serve. This journey is our way of giving back.
But here’s the honest part — we can’t get to the start line without help.
Why we’re crowdfunding
We’ve self‑funded everything we can. We’ve stretched, saved, borrowed, and built this expedition piece by piece. But to launch safely and responsibly, we still need to cover the final essential costs:
Insurance for the boat, the expedition, and the two of us
Fuel for safety support, locks, and unavoidable transfers
Food for weeks of rowing, recovery, and keeping our bodies going
Marina fees for secure overnight stops along the river
Final logistics to get our ocean rowing boat Polly to the start and home again
These aren’t luxuries. They’re the non‑negotiables that make the charity row possible — the foundations that allow every pound raised for LOROS, Doddie, and The Rivers Trust to go directly to them.
Your support gets us on the river Every contribution, big or small, helps close the final gap.
Every pound gets us closer to launching from the Black Forest.
Every donation becomes part of the journey, part of the impact, part of the legacy.
The row itself will be raw and real. Blisters will split. Storms will rise. Some days the wind will push us backwards. Other days the river will feel like a companion. And along the way, strangers will offer kindness — proving that humanity is as wide as the river and just as powerful.
This journey is not about us It’s about dignity for families at LOROS.
It’s about accelerating the fight against MND.
It’s about cleaner, healthier rivers.
It’s about inspiring others to act with purpose.
It’s about proving that when people come together, change follows.
We’re rowing 2,400 km — but we cannot reach the start line alone.
Help us get there.
Help us launch.
Help us turn this river into a force for good.
You can even join us by rowing the Danube from your home, office, or school.
Together, we are stronger.
Jooles & Ian x