In June 2025, team 'the Matriarsea' will take on the epic challenge of a relay Channel Swim. The English Channel crossing is at least 21 miles, and we will be battling waves, weather, sewage, jellyfish, and most certainly frigid waters (the average temperature of the Channel in June is 15 degrees) on our way to France.

Making up team 'the Matriarsea' are seven female swimmers who are all crazy enough to take on this adventure together: Laura & Brigitte Suggitt (mother/daughter swim duo), Briony Davies, Sian McGuinness, Jenni Sidey, Emily Varley, and Chloe Norton-Lamb.

We will be swimming and fundraising in memory of Henry 'H' Suggitt. In 2015 Henry died whilst on his gap year, just a few weeks before he was due to start his degree in Zoology and Marine Biology at the University of Bangor. We miss H every day, and in the 10 years since his death, we have donated and championed many causes to protect the marine environment. These include seagrass habitat restoration, a seagrass research lab (now the Henry Suggitt laboratory), purchasing scanning equipment for a Hebridean whale and dolphin research vessel, and providing bursaries for young people who would otherwise not have the means to gain experience in this competitive field.

For this challenge we have chosen to fundraise for three marine charities:

- Planet Patrol: Who through their growing network of community scientists, are revolutionising the way we address environmental issues, filling critical information gaps and democratising data, to ensure the public is informed about pollutants in a real-time dashboard.

- Surfers Against Sewage: Who through advocacy, activism, and education are bringing water quality to the top of the political agenda and leading the ocean clean up.

- Project Seagrass: Who research and actively restore valuable seagrass habitats that sustain biodiversity and make a huge contribution to carbon capture

We know Henry would be backing us the whole way and we hope you will too.