By Gillian Ellison

Published at 11:04, Thursday, 06 September 2012

A MOTHER of two disabled teenagers is this week preparing to take on a kayak challenge to raise money for a £1million respite centre in Copeland.

paddle power: Dawn Raynor does some training on Ennerdale Water before her big weekend challenge

With no previous experience, Dawn Raynor, of Moor Row, will this weekend kayak 13 major lakes, meres and waters in 48 hours to help raise money.

Her twin sons, Callan and Ethan, 14, have tuberous sclerosis which means they have uncontrolled epilepsy – suffering many seizures every day.

The hairdresser has been training hard for the challenge which she will do over September 8, 9, and 10. She admits she is totally out of her comfort zone but is passionate about helping local families.

“I’m tired of children having nowhere to go,” said Dawn.

“My kids have been prisoners in their own home. I can’t let them be free and this is why we are doing this, to help other disabled kids.

“This won’t help my children because they will be grown up by the time this is hopefully up and running, I am doing this to stop the fight for other parents, to give them somewhere they can take their children and relax.”

Dawn, along with Gillian Linklater, Lisa Egan and Kelly Agnew, formed the ‘Give Us a Break’ group and want to provide a respite centre to help parents and children with disabilities. So far they have raised £15,000.

Helping them in their goal is Energy Solutions, an international nuclear services company, at Westlakes Science Park. Boss Richard Waite and staff have been helping Dawn with the planning and organising of her kayak marathon, as well as supporting the preparation of her business case as she seeks to turn Give Us a Break into a registered charity.

Richard, of Gosforth, said: “Dawn is a wonderful lady with bags of energy and she deserves all the support we can give her – not only for the upcoming lakes challenge but in helping her raise the money to get the centre built and staffed. It is a very worthy cause and sorely needed in the area.”

Dawn’s challenge will push her to the limits, paddling for hours and hours, including during the night. She will be starting on Saturday at 9am at Loweswater and finishing at Ennerdale at 5pm where people can join her at the site of the former Anglers’ Hotel.

To raise funds email Dawn at dawnraynor@btinternet.com or via the group on 07776 422980/ email giveusabreak@hotmail.co.uk

The Paypal link to donate is: http://bit.ly/SgxTM1

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk