Fife businessman set for solo Atlantic adventure in name of sustainability

Henry Cheape plans to take on the challenge of rowing the Atlantic solo in a 3000-mile odyssey to raise £250,000 for conservation and environment charities and promote sustainability.

By using only local food suppliers from across Scotland to sustain his Atlantic venture, his aim is to promote the message that sustainability is at the heart of a better future – from the food we grow on our farms to education that empowers people to lead sustainable lives.

Known as the World’s Toughest Row, the challenge starts this December and will see Henry join other adventurers on the unsupported trans-Atlantic row from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua.

The 43-year-old, who is from the business behind farm shop Balgove Larder in St Andrews, will make the trip aboard the PollyAnne, an R25 rowing boat which won her class for the 2022 Atlantic race.

The voyage can take up to 10 weeks to complete and is a feat of mental, physical and psychological endurance.

“There’s no doubt it is going to be an absolutely mammoth challenge,” he said. “I’m not only taking on the physical might of the ocean, its weather systems and all that that can throw at you, I’ve also got the mental challenge of enduring that entirely on my own.

“It’s going to be tough but I cannot think of a better reason to put myself through it! The importance of a sustainable future for farming and our planet is non-negotiable and I am calling for any producer who wants to get involved to make contact. We’d love to have as many brands as possible on board! The three charities I’m raising money for are all delivering transformational change – demonstrating that it can be done.”

Henry is supporting: Global Canopy, a data-driven not-for-profit organisation that targets the market forces destroying nature; Sustain which campaigns for a healthy and sustainable food system and Nomad Conservation Fund which helps conserve wildlife, habitat and wilderness in Tanzania.

For further information about PollyAnne and for details on how to donate or sponsor the challenge visit www.pollyanne.co.uk