On September 27th I'll be taking part in Swim Brighton, a 2.5k sea swim - and my first swim challenge! I'm going to be raising money for Hope and Play, an amazing charity supporting Palestinian children. As well as their ongoing work to provide education, play and trauma support, they are also currently working to provide emergency food and essentials on the ground in Gaza. You can see more about their work here: www.hopeandplay.org

A few years ago I became really ill with Covid related heart problems and was unable to work or look after my young children. It was a frightening time and the feeling of not being able to keep my children safe was the hardest part. I can't begin to imagine the terror and horror for families and children in Gaza right now. Cold water swimming has been a huge part of my journey back to health and doing this sea swim feels symbolic of hope and recovery.

Anything you can contribute will help - and goes directly to the charity and their work on the ground.

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.