Thank you for taking the time to visit my Just Giving Crowdfunding page – I've set it up this way as it is the only way I could raise money for two separate causes (one a charity, one not) so that I can donate to both.

I’m taking part in the Great London Swim 2017 (Docklands/open water) in July. Now, I’m a keen swimmer but I do like to see that black line at the bottom and the wall at either end of the pool. I can just about cope with the odd plaster floating by too. But I have never swum outdoors so I have never experienced the murky water, slimy vegetation, fish poo and wee (thanks for reminding me Seren), and insects. Oh, and the unknown depth beneath me. So although I can swim (better than I can run - dodgy knee), this will be a big challenge for me. Plus, it’s going to be cold. Brrr.

To make it a little bit more tolerable, I have decided to do it in aid of two causes. One is Whale and Dolphin Conservation. I volunteered for this charity a couple of years ago and I got to witness first-hand the brilliant work they do in trying to protect these amazing creatures from the increasing threats they face in their lives. If you want to know more about what the charity does for whales and dolphins, please have a look at their very informative website, be warned though, some stuff is quite hard to look at.
http://uk.whales.org/

Secondly, I would like to help Bathford Primary School. My daughters attend this fabulous village school and, like most schools, it is constantly grappling with funding challenges. The PTA has now been tasked with raising funds for teaching equipment such as new smart boards in the classrooms. Things have come a long way since blackboards and chalk and these smart boards are an incredibly important tool to enhance learning and teaching. I hope that my efforts will help the next class get a shiny new smart board soon.

Thank you very much for any support you can give me. I’ll keep you posted with my progress!