A LAUNCH pad technician from a Penarth school is planning to paddle for 145 miles to raise money for outdoor equipment.

Dan Willmore, who works at Penarth’s Ysgol y Deri School as part of The Launch Pad team - who offer interventions, will stand-up paddle tomorrow (FRI) with the Surf Experience and raise £6,000 for the school to have surfing equipment.

The Surf Experience, which offers surfing and stand up paddling to pupils, is one of many projects that are run, as part of interventions at the special education school in Penarth.

Mr Willmore is part of the Surf Experience and regularly paddles. On the day of the event will set off at 3am from St Davids to the Cardiff International White Water Centre and is hoping to complete the journey eight to 10 days later.

“I paddle 10 to 20 miles on a day to day basis, but I have never done anything like this before," said Mr Willmore.

"The nerves are starting to set in; I just want to get on the water and start paddling.

“I’d like to think that it’s a great way to inspire the children I work with, as we have taken them surfing, paddle boarding, climbing before and it has really relaxed them.

"I’m hoping to raise £6,000, which will buy surfing equipment, which will mean more access for the pupils, and remaining money will be kept aside for other outdoor activities and opportunities.”

In 2012, Mr Willmore organised the SUP challenge Wales, where he and colleague, Kerry Baker, paddled 43 miles in 10 hours and 23 minutes from Swansea to Cardiff, and raised £6,000 for the school.

Ysgol Y Deri offers opportunities for pupils to get out into nature and enjoy experiences and adventures, such as the adventure outdoors rotation, the Duke of Edinburgh awards, climbing, hiking, skiing, canoeing, stand up paddling and surfing.

The SUP Challenge Wales event, with the help of The Parents and Friends Association (PFA), Ysgol Y Deri and Red paddle Co, aims to raise money to make all of these activities more inclusive and accessible to the pupils at Ysgol Y Deri.

Parents, staff members and pupils are invited to join Mr Willmore on his last leg of the challenge in Cardiff Bay.

Visit Mr Willmore's JustGiving page for more information and to keep updated on his journey - justgiving.com/fundraising/d-willmore