DESPITE the rain last Saturday more than £800 was raised for the Royal Marines’ Charity.

Lee Spencer, a former Royal Marine and amputee, was outside Tesco in Tavistock to help raise money for charity and to promote his solo row across the Atlantic in two months.

Lee, 48, from Horrabridge, said: ‘It was an amazing day, we were surprised so many people came out to see us in the rain — we were joined by the Tavistock Royal Marines’ Association who were awesome.

‘Everyone was very generous and we raised over £800 for the Royal Marines Charity. Thank you to Tesco for allowing us to bring the boat along and for the cups of tea and most of all for the items they supplied for snack packs for the row.’

Lee aims to row, in his specially designed boat called ‘Hope’ across the Atlantic from Gibraltar to Venezuela without a support boat. He sets off on January 18, as most people are taking down their Christmas decorations, with everything he needs — food, clothes and water — inside his specially designed boat.

Lee is aiming to secure two Guinness World Records — the world’s first physically disabled person to row solo and unsupported across an ocean from mainland to mainland and the fastest solo unsupported row from mainland Europe to mainland South America. both the record for an amputee crossing the Atlantic and a second for the fastest rowing speed between two continents — Europe and South America.

The double record attempt will raise awareness and money for the Royal Marines’ Charity and The Endeavour Fund which supports wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans using sport and adventurous challenges.

For more information visit www.leespencer.co.uk