Eight men from Milton Keynes row across the English Channel in a day in memory of their friend

The eight men were all friends of Louie Lewis, who sadly took his own life two years ago at the age of 36.

Paul and Stuart Tomkinson, Matthew May, Mark and Mike Dean, Paul Kite, Rob Lasbury and Scott Aspinall said they were so affected by Louie's death that they wanted to do something in his name.

They started regular training sessions and vowed to row across the Channel to raise awareness of mental health and also to raise cash for mental health charity Mind.

The men, who said the hard task was "very much" out of their comfort zone, set up a fundraising page called Row 4 Louie and set themselves a £13,000 target.

The row was first scheduled for last September but was postponed several times due to bad weather conditions. Then, when the Covid pandemic hit, it was cancelled again.

On Sunday the team finally got the go ahead. Due to French quarantine rules, they had to start Dover and row to the French border and back again, completing the same distance as Dover to Calais.

Not only did they complete the distance, but they smashed their fundraising target.

A spokesman for the team said: "Louie was a great guy who had the biggest smile. Little did we know that behind that smile he was struggling with his mental health.. Mental health has affected many of us in the boat one way or another, which has only given us reason and motivation."

The mens' fundraising total currently stands at £13,743. You can donate here .

If you are having suicidal thoughts, it is important that you tell someone. Please call the Samaritans on 116 123 or email [email protected].

People under the age of 35 can also call Papyrus on 0800 068 41 41 from Monday to Friday between 9am and 10pm or on weekends and bank holidays between 2pm to 10pm. You can email Papyrus [email protected] or text on 07860 039967.