Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

On 17th September,  I am taking part in the Swim Serpentine super 6, swimming 10km in aid of Baynards Zambia Trust and in memory of my amazing Uncle Peter who passed away in April very suddenly. I had originally planned to complete this challenge at The Great North Swim but the event was shortened due to bad weather conditions and so I have turned my attention to the warmer climate of london!

I have worked for BZT for 5 years and the experience has changed my life. BZT is a volunteer run West Sussex Charity which  builds the capacity of  extremely poor, isolated rural communities in Mkushi and Luano Districts, Central Province of Zambia through 4 intertwined programmes of education, health, women’s empowerment and income generation. I have visited the projects we support with our delivery partner ZRDF, and have met the communities whose lives are changing thanks to our help. Not one penny we raise goes on a salary as everyone is a volunteer and so I know that every penny I raise, as a swimmer and a fundraiser, goes into the work that we do; building schools, providing health programmes that improve access to HIV awareness and support services, family planning and sexual reproductive health and rights provision, income generating programmes, making sure that each child has access to an quality education and that all girls and boys are safe from child labour, forced marriages, early pregnancies and CSE. 

In April, I lost my uncle; my friend and pretty much my father to a sudden stroke. It has devastated us all. Throughout this, swimming has been the one thing that has helped me with my grief, the overwhelming feeling of loss and sadness that he is no longer here to support me. He always donated to BZT and and to me in all my crazy challenges. He was my cheer squad when no one else was. 

I know that he will be cheering me on to accomplish the hardest physical challenge I have undertaken.  I hope that you'll consider donating to my page as a way of celebrating  both BZT and him . I need all the support I can get to get through the 4 hours of pond, chaffing and swallowing lake. 

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