Some of you may recall sponsoring me when I swam the Hellespont in 2008. One of the subtle pleasures of the swim was knowing that I was swimming from one continent to another as I swam from European Turkey to Asian Turkey.

I have been looking for another swim with the same kick, and last year signed up to swim from the UK to the US........or, at least, from the jurisdiction of the UK to the jurisdiction of the US.

The British Virgin Islands are a UK overseas territory, and the US Virgin Islands are an "organised unincorporated US territory" ( so Wikipedia tells me), each subject to the jurisdiction of their respective mainlands.

In March I am swimming the length of the BVI, and on the last day, swimming to the nearest USVI, or as near to it as the Department of Homeland Security allows......we may not be able to land, but will be allowed into US territorial waters, which allows me to make my slightly dubious claim of swimming between legal continents.

Of course I am doing this for pleasure, but seeing as the BVI are close to Haiti, it seems a good fit to try and raise money for the victims of the earthquake at the same time.

I think we all know that however tough life is in general, it is likely to be even tougher for people with disabilities. Many of the survivors of Haiti are now disabled, which will make life even more difficult for them in a society where hard physical work is the usual way of making a living.

Any money you donate will go to the Disaster Emergency Committee, and I will be asking that it be used for the benefit of any person with a mental or physical disability, however caused, on Haiti.

Please give what you can, and thank you in advance for your generosity