My amazing Mum, Dawn, died at the end of July last year. She was 67 years old. 

She was diagnosed with a terminal cancer called mesothelioma in November 2015. It's caused by exposure to asbestos. Mum should never have had this cancer. 

She was a teacher. 86% of schools in the UK still have asbestos in them, putting over 7 million pupils at risk. That includes you, me, your children and grandchildren. 

I'll be swimming two miles in Windermere in my home county of Cumbria - which means it's likely to be raining! Also, i've never done any swimming in a wetsuit before. I figure that nothing can be as hard as what Mum went through - and she did it with grace, bravery, and humour. 

Any money you can give will help the charity and help raise awareness. There is already a petition to have asbestos removed from schools which is nearing 100,000 names. You can find out more information about the campaign started by Lucie Stephens in this link. 

You may want to add your name: 

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/protect-our-children-and-teachers-from-asbestos-exposure-in-schools

Mesothelioma UK:  

• Support the NHS to drive up standards and ensure equitable access to world class treatment, trials and care.
• Help the UK to lead the way in making mesothelioma history through world-class audit, research and clinical trials. 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. 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.