Hello !

Thanks for taking the time to check out Canoe Wild's JustGiving page.

Get your paddle on for Paddle for Parkinson's UK 18th April !

This year Canoe Wild are excited to support and raise money for our chosen charity, Parkinson's UK. We will be hosting a number of events throughout the season, starting with our Paddle for Parkinson's event on 18th April 

The charity has personal significance to Canoe Wild and we look forward to developing our partnership and supporting them with this and future paddle events and encourage you to do the same. 

Parkinson's is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world. In the UK around 145,000 people are living with Parkinson's. Parkinson's is what happens when brain cells, that make dopamine, start to die. This causes tremors, anxiety and pain, with roughly 2 people diagnosed every hour with the condition. Unfortunately Parkinson's gets worse over time and there is no cure. Yet. Canoe Wild hopes that by funding the right research, into the most promising treatments, we can move closer to a cure. 

The Paddle for Parkinson's UK event will offer you and your family a fun, exciting and memorable day paddling on the beautiful River Stour just outside Canterbury, Kent. You can book a canoe, kayak or stand up paddle board and enjoy a relaxing paddle, taking in the scenery and the fantastic wildlife. The best bit being that 50% of the price of your paddle will go to the fantastic Parkinson's UK charity. 

For full details and information on our events and you book your paddle adventure, please visit www.canoewild.co.uk 

We look forward to seeing you !

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Joan's Story 

Canoe Wild is a family orientated business, one which Andrew Mangnall proudly set up and runs with the support of both his son George and daughter Lucy. It is this family bond that is the reason behind Canoe Wild announcing Parkinson’s UK as its charity partner. Andrew’s mother, Joan Mangnall, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2002 and it is both his and his families, along with everyone at Canoe Wild hope to both support and champion all the hard work Parkinson’s UK does to help those affected by the disease. 

Joan Mangnall, born on Christmas day 1933, had a childhood growing up on a chicken farm in Dundee, Scotland, as the daughter of a blind WW1 veteran. At the aged 19 Joan decided to dedicate her life to the care of others and become a nurse, proudly working at The Glasgow Royal Infirmary. It was here where she met a surgeon named Roger, whom she later married on December 10^th, 1963. Joan’s caring and compassionate nature meant she thrived not only as a nurse, but also as a mother and granny and she was thrilled to see Andrew pursue his love and passion when he set up Canoe Wild. 

Having settled in Suffolk, and despite her Parkinson’s diagnoses, her love for helping people carried on even in retirement, as she continued to support those in her local community, organising the building of a new village hall, arranging collections for multiple charities, as well as working with the elderly and disabled. Joan’s nursing background meant she knew that Parkinson’s would change her life but was determined not to let it to hold her back and in December of 2005 she was invited, by the Queen, to attend Buckingham palace where she was awarded an MBE for her service to the elderly and disabled. 

On the 25^th of January 2021, at the age of 87, Joan sadly passed away. She had lived with Parkinson’s for 18 years, the last 5 of which she was in the advanced stages of the disease.   Her hard work, positive outlook, and kindness to all those around her are sentiments echoed by her family and it is why Canoe Wild are proud to support Parkinson’s UK charity.