Former Spice Girl Melanie C and Merseyside children’s author Natalie Reeves Billing are backing Boat of Hope which will see Bernie Hollywood row solo across the Atlantic to raise £1m for charities

Former Spice Girl Melanie C will be the lead narrator for the animated teaser trailer of Bernie Hollywood’s Boat of Hope campaign.

Boat of Hope will see serial fundraiser Bernie undertake a solo row across the Atlantic, aiming to raise £1m which will be split between the Samaritans and Love Rowing, the British Rowing Charitable Foundation.

Merseyside children’s author Natalie Reeves Billing has written and developed Bernie and Boatie, a bespoke picture book for young children, telling the incredible story of Bernie’s quest to row the Atlantic, which is due to begin in December 2022.

Illustrated by Lisa Williams, Bernie and Boatie will also be produced as an audiobook and an animated trailer, for which Melanie has donated her time to narrate and which Doctor Who star Sacha Dhawan will conclude. The trailer will also feature an original soundtrack by composer Ben Hughes.

Set to be published in September 2021, all proceeds of the book and audiobook sales of Bernie and Boatie will go towards the campaign’s fundraising efforts. Natalie Reeves-Billing said: “I’m thrilled that Melanie C and Sacha will be narrating and concluding the animated trailer for Bernie and Boatie.

“In writing the book, I wanted to capture the amazing positivity that Bernie is spreading through his incredible campaign and share the awe-inspiring nature of the challenge he is taking on with young children. Melanie and Sacha are ideal candidates, and we are so pleased that they have lent their voices to such a worthwhile cause.”

Melanie C added: “I’m really excited to be supporting Bernie and the Boat of Hope team in this inspiring initiative. As both a passionate advocate for raising awareness of mental health issues and a mum myself, the motivation behind the Boat of Hope campaign really chimes with me.”