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On 13th September this year I am taking part in the Great North Swim. This is a one mile open water swim in England’s largest Lake, Windermere. I am currently training hard in the freezing cold water of a disused reservoir above Todmorden! I am not intending wearing a wetsuit to swim (unless the water is so cold it is compulsory) so am concentrating on building up my tolerance to the cold. Hopefully this craziness will pay off and I can do the swim in a good time.
In doing the swim I am raising money for a charity called Interact Worldwide, which I feel is a really worthy cause. The charity works in the developing world to improve maternal health, reduce HIV, promote sexual rights and tackle gender inequality and domestic violence. They specifically target the most vulnerable members of society in order to reduce poverty and improve lives. In the UK, most of us take things such as access to contraception and maternity care for granted, however the situation in Africa and Asia is very different. For example:
Every minute a woman dies because of pregnancy or child birth complications amounting to 529,000 needless deaths per year. For every woman who dies, at least another 20 will suffer injuries which are often humiliating, painful, disabling and permanent. Millions of children are left without a mother and as a result are more likely to die themselves. Almost all of these women live in Africa and Asia, and almost all these deaths are preventable.I'm sure you'll agree, reducing these statistics is a very worthy cause, so please dig deep and donate now! Knowing I am raising valuable funds for Interact will keep me motivated and warm in what is likely to be a very cold lake!
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
