Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. I really hate asking people for money but the challenge that myself and the rest of the team are undertaking, in July, is to raise money for such an important cause, therefore, any donations really would be hugely appreciated.

The challenge

Our challenge, as a team, is to swim from one end of the Loch Ness in Fort Augustus to the other end at Lochend. Our team comprises of 6 swimmers who will take it in turns to swim until the distance is complete. The full swim distance is around 22 miles and we suspect the swim will take between 12 and 14 hours, dependent on conditions. Temperatures in Loch Ness can average at as low as 11 degrees so this is a cold swim in the largest body of fresh water in the UK - not to mention the risk to us all of being eaten by Nessie!

Where will the money we raise go?

Every four hours, someone in the UK is paralysed by spinal cord injury. Disability is expensive; lightweight wheelchairs can cost over £4000. Aspire visits newly injured patients in hospital to offer support and advice, and point people to services such as Aspire Housing which is a temporary accessible housing solution. Aspire also train people, regardless of their level of injury, to use computers with the aid of assistive technology, and their welfare benefits team help to ensure people receive the benefits to which they are entitled. Money raised through fundraising events such as this further enables Aspire to help many more people with spinal cord injuries to live independent and fulfilled lives.

It is fair to say the physical strain our team will undertake as part of this challenge is nothing compared to the day-to-day challenges that people with spinal injuries face, so any donations towards this event will go to a very worthy cause.

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.