Good morning my friends!

On the 25th August 2012 I am going to swim across the Solent from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight in order to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association.

I have crossed the 2.4 miles (4km) of sea separating the mainland and the Isle of Wight many times by ferry, but this time it's just going to be me, my mankini, a good pair of goggles and a lot of splashing.

I usually get scared of jellyfish when swimming only 10 metres from the coast so it will interesting to see how I fare on this trip whilst dodging ships, battling strong currents and fighting sea monsters.

Luckily, I will be joined by a group of 10 people and the Portsmouth & Southsea lifeguards are very kindly providing safety protection for us on our trip and will be on hand to chuck me some armbands in case I start to sink.

Anything you donate will go directly to the West London & Middlesex Branch of the MND Association, which provides practical help and support to people living with MND in my area.

So please dig deep and donate now. Whatever you can spare is much appreciated.

Thanks for your support,

Jamie Nigel-Weebly Nesbit