Former Royal Marine and champion fundraiser given honour

A FORMER Royal Marine has been honoured by a charitable organisation for his '˜enduring legacy' of fundraising.

Lee Spencer, 47 was given the Paul Harris Fellowship - Rotary International’s top honour at a special event last night.

He lost his right leg and injured his left in a freak accident after being hit by a car while stopping at the scene of an accident on the M3 motorway in January 2013.

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He was discharged from the Royal Marines in 2016 after 24 years of service and has been a committed fundraiser for the Royal Marines charity - of which he is now an ambassador - and since the accident has gone to increase his fundraising exploits.

This included rowing across the Atlantic just 11 months after losing his leg.

Lee is now a part of Team Britannia - the team looking to beat the world record for circumnavigating the globe.

Alan Priddy, the skipper of Team Britannia and a member of Rotary International’s Southsea Castle branch said: ‘I am so pleased for Lee, who is an absolutely amazing guy. A great husband, father, crew member and charitable fundraiser who despite injury has created an enduring legacy of helping those less fortunate.

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‘Looking at the catalogue of challenges Lee has undertaken is incredible, doubled with the injuries sustained while selflessly helping others.

‘That is why he is a worthy recipient of Rotary’s highest honour.’

The award is named after Rotary’s founder Paul Harris and is initially given to those who raise over £800 for the organisation, but is now used to honour those who have made an outstanding commitment to charity and the club.

It is highly unusual for the award to be given to a non-rotarian.

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Lee will be part of Team Britannia’s 12-man crew record attempt later this year when the team hope to beat the world powerboat record by cutting up to seven days off the current time of 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes by New Zealander Pete Bethune.

The record attempt will start in October 2017 in Gibraltar.