An eight-year-old girl has accompanied her father in a kayak from the source of the River Thames to Queenborough.

Kevin Richardson took his daughter Lauren on the 225-mile trip to show parents they can take their children on adventures safely as long as they plan carefully.

The journey began in Gloucestershire on June 8 in a vessel named Little Lauren II.

The pair camped nearly every night until they finished up at the all-tide landing in Queenborough on Thursday.

Mum Debra, who occasionally supported them along the way in a car, was there to meet them.

Mr Richardson, of Hoo, is a senior tutor for Widehorizons, a charity which provides outdoor experiences for underprivileged and inner-city youngsters.

He said: “We thought we would raise a bit of awareness that yes, you can do adventures like this. It doesn’t have to be dangerous.

“It is about measuring the risk and assessing what you do and then putting that into practice to mitigate any dangers.

“There is risk in anything you do in life. Crossing a road is probably more dangerous than what we have done. I wouldn’t have attempted this if I wasn’t sure it was safe.

“Kayaking is a big part of our lives. Lauren loves it.

“She loves the water. She can now say she has sailed the Thames from source to sea.

“There are not may eight-year-olds that can let out 50,000 gallons of water from a lock and do it properly. She is very water wise and very conscious of that. I set her clear boundaries. That is what makes the adventure so much easier with her, having safety measures in place.”

The 47-year-old added it is important to have all of the right equipment and anyone interested in taking up the activity should contact a local club.

This was the fourth river trip Lauren has been on since she started at the age of five.

She said: “Lots of people like me don’t get the chance to go out on adventures and I think it will give them more of an experience of the outdoors.”

The father-and-daughter team blogged every day to provide a learning resource to schools in London and ran amateur radio from the kayak during the journey.

• Sponsors have also donated £295 for Widehorizons via the website www.virginmoneygiving.com/KevinRichardson1
• You can read the blog by going to www.riverthames2013.blogspot.co.uk