Joe Way Paddle for Life: £193,545 raised in a Newquay boy’s memory

He would have turned 22 this September. Instead, a little boy’s name belongs to a stretch of Newquay beach, a summer full of paddlers and a total that has just ticked past £193,000.

Newquay’s Joe Way Paddle for Life has brought family, friends and the wider town together again, raising £5,591.58 this year and lifting the running total in Joe’s memory to £193,545 since it began in 2008.

From one memorial paddle to a Newquay tradition

The Paddle for Life was set up in memory of four-year-old Joe Way, who died in 2008. What started as a single memorial paddle has grown into an annual community event that draws in families, friends, local businesses, surf lifesavers, musicians, volunteers and supporters. More than 20 charities and good causes have benefited along the way.

Where this year’s money is going

This year £5,240 will be shared between a range of charities and good causes. The choices reflect the things that matter to the Paddle for Life family: children and families, bereavement support, lifesaving, emergency services, youth development, dementia awareness and the therapeutic power of the ocean.

Charity or good cause	Donation
Newquay Surf Life Saving	£500
Lusty Surf Life Saving	£500
Cornwall Surf Life Saving	£500
Children’s Hospice South West	£500
Cornwall Air Ambulance	£500
Harlyn’s Heroes	£500
Penhaligon’s Friends	£500
The Wave Project	£250
Amplify SW	£150
Newquay Purple Angels	£140
Ronald McDonald House Bristol	£200
The Wave Project (direct pre-event donation)	£1,000

The £1,000 that went to The Wave Project was donated before the event, made up of £500 from St Columb Financial Services and £500 in matched funding. That sits on top of the £250 the charity received from the main 2026 pot.

Why these charities matter

Newquay, Lusty and Cornwall Surf Life Saving each take £500, and they sit close to the heart of the event. Lifesaving and beach safety are what the Paddle for Life is built around, and their volunteers help keep Cornwall’s beaches safer while giving young people the chance to pick up lifesaving, first aid and water skills.

Children’s Hospice South West supports babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families, and Cornwall Air Ambulance provides emergency medical care to seriously ill and injured people across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Harlyn’s Heroes raises awareness and funds around childhood cancer, while Penhaligon’s Friends supports bereaved children, young people and their families across Cornwall. Both reflect the Paddle for Life’s commitment to helping families through the hardest of times.

The Wave Project is a cause especially close to the family. Its surf therapy programmes use surfing and the sea to help young people build confidence, resilience and positive relationships. Amplify SW supports young people through music, DJing and creative opportunities.

Newquay Purple Angels is working towards a more dementia-aware community, while Ronald McDonald House Bristol gives families somewhere to stay when they need to be close to a child receiving hospital treatment.

‘Turning something incredibly sad into something positive’

Matt Way, who was the South West winner of Pride of Britain in 2018, said the day has always been about the town as much as the money.

“The Joe Way Paddle for Life has always been about family, friends and the Newquay community. It is about remembering Joe, but it is also about taking something incredibly sad and turning it into something positive that helps other people.”

“We are absolutely blown away by what everyone has achieved again this year. £5,591.58 is a fantastic amount of money, but behind that figure are hundreds of people giving their time, businesses supporting us, volunteers working behind the scenes, people taking part and the whole community coming together.”

Matt added: “It is hard to believe that Joe would have been 22 this year. The fact that his memory continues to bring people together and has now helped raise £193,545 for more than 20 charities since 2008 is something our family is incredibly proud of.”

A thank you to Newquay

The Way family thanked this year’s sponsors and supporters, including Biffa, Pitched Marketing / Pitched Website Solutions, Henwood Funeral Services, St Columb Financial Services, Colourworx Accident & Repair, Perran Signs, PJ Print & Signs, Skydive Cornwall, Newquay Activity Centre, Skindog Surfboards, Radio Newquay, Newquay Watersports Centre, Aspects Holidays and Specialist SRT Security.

Thanks also went to Newquay Towan Blystra Lions Club, Surf Life Saving Cornwall, Newquay Rowing Club, the surf lifesaving clubs and lifeguards, the musicians and performers, prize donors, raffle supporters, charity stallholders, food and drink providers, photographers, commentators, safety teams and every volunteer who made the day happen.

And there was a thank you to everyone who paddled, bought a raffle ticket, made a donation, sponsored a paddler, shared the event or simply turned up to support the day. As the family put it, the Paddle for Life would not be what it is without them.

Cheque presentations on what would have been Joe’s birthday

The charity cheque presentations take place at Newquay Rowing Club at 11am on Saturday 5 September 2026, a date that carries extra weight for the Way family because it would have been Joe’s 22nd birthday. Details of the event are on the Joe Way Paddle for Life website.

The presentation will be a chance to mark what the town has raised and to remember the little boy still at the centre of it, and the family is already looking ahead to next year’s paddle.