Hey,

So on the 20th July I will be swimming one mile in Salford Quays as part of the Great Manchester Swim. I've never done an outdoor swim before and so would really appreciate all the support I can get.

I've chosen to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation UK. This charity grants wishes to seriously ill children and some of the stories and wishes granted are so moving that I couldn't think of a more worthy charity to support. This year they will be granting over 1100 wishes and need to raise £7 million to achieve that. Some of the recently requested wishes include:

George, eight, lives with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia; he wishes to go to the PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club.

Caragh is fighting biliary atresia (a serious liver disease) and is 14 years old. Her wish is to stay in a treehouse at Center Parcs.

And Harry, who wants to be Batman!

Previous wishes:

Jessica, aged ten and from Grimsby, had her wish, to meet the Beast from Beauty and the Beast, granted at a very special occasion - Make-A-Wish UK's 10th anniversary party. The huge beast, as tall as the ceiling, entered the room carrying a red rose. He approached Jessica, who was dressed in her pretty yellow Beauty dress, and invited her onto the dance floor.

15 year old Mischka, who lives with cancer, lost her hair due to her treatment and was bullied at school as a result, causing her to lose confidence. The Make-A-Wish Foundation granted her wish for a confidence-boosting makeover day with Nicky Hambleton-Jones, and she really enjoyed the chance to look and feel great again.

Supported by research:

A recent study has found that a third of parents whose children receive a wish see an improvement in their child's physical health after the granting of the wish. Furthermore, a third of parents see an improvement in mobility, a quarter observe reduced suffering from their children's symptoms and over half cope better with their illness, displaying great energy and vitality. The evidence suggests that the Make-A-Wish Foundation's work does more than just bring happiness to these children.

Message from JustGiving:

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Finally:

I would really appreciate any money that you could donate, and I know that the children who get their wishes granted this year will appreciate your generosity even more so. Thank you!