A group of veterans from scuba diving rehabilitation charity Deptherapy have pledged to take part in a 40-mile expedition-style trek along historic Hadrian’s Wall this July to raise funds for the staff at Egyptian dive centre and resort Roots Red Sea.
The dive centre in El Quseir has been closed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic last Spring and, with Egypt now on the red list for UK travellers, it is unlikely to be able to re-open in the near future. UK couple Steve and Clare Rattle, who own Roots Red Sea, have been supporting the 16 staff of the dive centre and their families, but faced with an ever increasingly uncertain future, the Deptherapy beneficiaries wanted to add their support too.
Roots Red Sea is Deptherapy’s home from home in Egypt and the location where the charity’s majority of overseas training courses and expeditions are held. The facilities at the Egyptian dive centre and resort are a perfect fit for the charity, offering an ideal combination of self-contained and fully adapted accommodation, as well as a team of highly trained staff.
Deptherapy normally runs two to three trips to Roots Red Sea each year but recent and planned trips continue to be a casualty of Covid. For the time being, training has shifted to UK waters, but their Egyptian family is never far from the minds of the Deptherapy Team.
“We’re hoping to raise £3,000 for the staff at Roots to support their families due to hardship caused by the pandemic,” explains Tom Oates, Deptherapy Divemaster, Ambassador and former Scots Guard.
“Deptherapy has been a lifeline for so many of us beneficiaries and an essential part of that journey has been our scuba diving adventures at Roots Red Sea. We view the staff at Roots as part of our extended families. They have become close friends. The welcome, service and care we are shown is unbelievable but now it is our turn to give something back. The staff at Roots have given us everything and have helped to save and change our lives. Now, they need our support.”
“This is an amazing endeavour from the guys at Deptherapy,” says Steve Rattle, who is organising the logistics of the trek, which is planned to stretch over several days. “We have supported the charity for many years; it’s always been a delight to have them come to Roots and to see them really benefit from the experience. Now the tables are turned, and it is the families of Roots that are in need of help. It is really humbling to have Team Deptherapy now raising money for them. Awesome effort!”
The fundraiser is scheduled to take place from 12-16 July 2021, starting from Heddon on the Wall in the east to Lenercost in the west. The route has been designed to take in a variety of features, including many historical sites such as the Roman Army Museum at Greenhead.
Please give generously to sponsor Team Deptherapy in their quest to raise £3,000 for the families of Roots Red Sea at the special JustGiving Page.
Photo credit: Deptherapy / Roots Red Sea
