Row4Charity Achievers Award success

It's hard to see how - the oarsome foursome has been taken into the heart of the community and it seems we're ready to celebrate the success of the Bexhill Trust Challenger again and again.

A standing ovation greeted Matt Hellier, Nick McCorry and Phil McCorry as they won the Overall Achiever Award as the finale to the ceremony at the DLWP on Monday night.

They were also nominated in two other categories - as finalists in Charity Of The Year, for their fundraising for The Stroke Association which has now passed 14,000, and Best Sports Team 2009 which they won for rising to the mental and physical challenge of rowing thousands of miles in the Indian Ocean Race earlier this year.

They have already received the highest civic honour Bexhill has to offer when all four members received the freedom of the borough at a prestigious ceremony back in August - the first recipients of the freedom of Bexhill for 40 years.

Row4Charity spokesman Geoff Dixon commented: "We were very honoured to receive the Bexhill Achievers Awards on Monday at the DLWP. We would like to share this with all the sponsors and supporters of the Bexhill Trust Challenger.

"We felt very humble to be nominated alongside some very special people, it was good to see them recognised for the dedication shown in their achievements. We'd further like to thank the Bexhill Observer for organising the night and the management and staff of the DLWP for a great evening."

The next challenge for Row4Charity is that they have been invited to take part in the Atlantic Ocean rowing race towards the end of this year but are fast running out of time to find a major sponsor.

Geoff said: "As you know the Bexhill Trust Challenger has been invited by the race organisers Woodvale, to take part in the 2009 Atlantic Rowing Race and give the crew an opportunity to add more world records to the three already achieved during the Indian Ocean Challenge, as well as raise further funds for the Stroke Association.

"The organisers have also stated that if we enter they will give us the boat to keep after the event.

"This would give us the chance of breaking the 'time record' for an Atlantic crossing and to win an unique double, never achieved before, of winning two ocean races.

"Because of the timescale involved, (the race starts on December 6th) and we have to register at the beginning of October, we do not have the opportunity this time around to fundraise to cover the entry costs.

"The boys are again willing to put in their own money and most of the original sponsors have indicated they will again support us but we desperately need a new main sponsor.

"If we cant find a main sponsor by the end of this month we will have withdraw and the chance of putting Bexhill further on the world map will be gone as well as the boat itself.

"If anyone would like further information please email [email protected] or ring 07825663500."