Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. The success of this venture depends on good-hearted people like you.
The Event: In June 2012 I planned to swim from Teddington through the centre of London to Southend, the around the Kent coast to Dover and then finally across the English Channel to Calais. This never happened because just 3 weeks before the event I broke my neck and was paralysed from the neck down. However, the surgeons at Addenbrooke's put me back together again and I am very lucky to have made a substantial recovery. So much so that the swim was re-scheduled to start on 19th July 2013. This swim had never been done before and follows on from my World record swim of the entire length of the non-tidal River Thames in 2005. The swim website is http://www.teddingtontocalais2012.org.uk/ and I hope you will enjoy reading it. My fundraising target for the swim is a cool £1,000,000!
The Charities: You may wish to visit the Hertfordshire Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre website for full information on the work they carry out. Multiple Sclerosis is a terrible disease which can affect any one of us. It does not discriminate and could strike you or your family. Similarly, Hertfordshire Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre does not discriminate between who will benefit when their service is needed but they are funded purely by public donations so please dig deep and sponsor me online. Who knows, one day it may help someone close to you.
There are so many worthy causes that picking just one is almost impossible! I am therefore simultaneously raising £800,000 for the Herts Air Ambulance, so please also visit my www.justgiving.com/teddingtontocalais2012ms webpage and try to balance the donations until this page has reached £200,000. All donations after that will go to Herts Air Ambulance.
Now something EXTRA;
The Autograph Book: A record of 'People of our Time'.
I believe this is something completely new and I hope it will help me to reach my target. Any donor (including you) who sponsors £1,000 or more will qualify to have their signature appear in the Autograph Book alongside the signatures of royalty, the rich, the famous (and perhaps the infamous). People who have given their support include; Olympic Director, Danny Boyle, Mayor of London - Boris Johnson, Ex-Archbishop of Canterbury - Dr. Rowan Williams, singer - Dame Vera Lynn, D.B.E., actress - Virginia McKenna O.B.E., actress - Elizabeth Taylor, suprcar designer (Zonda) - Horacio Pagani, astronomer - Sir Patrick Moore, writer and broadcaster - Barry Norman C.B.E., sculptor and artist - John W. Mills, dancer and actor - Len Goodman, writer - Ken Follett and British Prime Ministers - John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown & David Cameron. When the swim is completed and all the sponsorship is in, the autographs will be beautifully mounted one per page, then stitched and bound in a wonderful leather volume. It seems the Book will run into a number of volumes as there are already over 470 names! Finally, the album will be auctioned and the amount of the winning bid will be added to the other donations for the charities. A second original copy will eventually be donated to the British library. So, to have you your autograph published with those of the great and the good, just find some way of making up £1000 or more. In the meantime, for those of you with more meagre budgets, please still donate below to boost the amount raised and keep the paramedics and the helicopter in the air, and help the MS sufferers! You can read all about me, the swim and much, much more at http://www.teddingtontocalais2012.org.uk, the official swim website.
Additionally: many celebrities and companies have donated items to be sold to raise yet more money for the charities. See the lots in the Auction List' from the Home Page of the swim website. Then email me a bid for any lot that takes your fancy.
The Sponsorship: Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The success of this venture depends on good-hearted people like you.
Hertfordshire Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre will receive your money for Teddington to Calais 2012 faster and, if you are a taxpayer, an extra 25% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you. You can donate from countries around the World. But please, whether you have decided to sponsor me or not, you can help me further by forwarding this webpage address by email to other people you know, recommending they make a donation and then forward the webpage address to their friends and contacts. Whether it's just one person, 10 people or your entire email directory, please hit the 'Forward' button. Many thanks for your donation and for your support.
