THE tragic stories of a young girl killed by her ex-boyfriend and a little boy stricken by disease have inspired two men to kayak more than 20 miles across the English Channel.

Chris Walkden, 45, who is general manager at the Slough depot of the Bidfood's food and catering supply company in Leigh Road teamed up with his friend of 20 years Duncan Marsh, 47 to take on the kayak challenge, raising £4,000 from sponsors by their effort.

The pair took on the gruelling activity to raise money for three charities - Treloar’s Trust, The Molly McLaren Foundation and the Tyler Reader Brighter Future Fund - all charities close to their hearts.

The Tyler Reader Brighter Future Fund was created by Mr Marsh’s close friend Steve Reader, in memory of his son who died from Sepsis. The second cause is The Molly McLaren Foundation, which was set up as a legacy by the family of a young girl killed by her ex-boyfriend.

Duncan Marsh said: “Having conquered Kilimanjaro for charity with Chris in 2012, this year we wanted to take on a new adventurous challenge.

“The charities I have chosen are extremely close to my heart, as Steve has been a friend for a long time and I personally witnessed the heart-breaking deterioration of his little boy. As well as this,, Molly was another friend of mine who was a bright and smiley character taken far too soon, so I wanted to show my support for her as well.”

Mr Walkden, a father of three who also has a granddaughter and Mr Marsh, a father of two, kayaked for over six hours across 21 miles from Rye in East Sussex, UK to Boulogne in France, passing through the Dover Strait. This was no mean feat as the Dover Strait is the world’s busiest shipping lane, with over 500 to 600 ships a day passing through between the UK and France.

Mr Walkden said: "I am extremely proud to be raising money for a charity as worthy as Treloar’s Trust. It is a remarkable and life changing place that dedicates its time to looking after over 170 people struggling with physical difficulties."