In July, we are swimming the English Channel to raise money for children at Fordwater School in Chichester with profound and multiple learning disabilities, so they can enjoy a multisensory hydrotherapy pool like the one below

For many children at Fordwater School, swimming and immersing in warm water is the best part of their week.

The buoyancy the children feel once in the water and out of their wheelchairs enables them to relax and float and move in a way it is impossible for them to do on 'dry land'. The therapeutic benefit of warm water helps relieve pain from contracted muscles, stiff joints and uncomfortable spasms.

But most of all the children just LOVE being in the pool.

The school needs help to update and add new equipment to their hydrotherapy pool to be able to deliver high quality therapeutic interventions, so needed by the the children.

The Jolly Swimmers are raising money to purchase:

A Bubble Creator

A Shower Cloud

A variety of lights and projectors

Specilaised Float Aids

2 Sensa-Floats

Fordwater school is a wonderful special school in Chichester for pupils with severe or profound learning difficulties. Some pupils have shortened lives, multiple & sensory impairments and physical disabilities and autism.

The Jolly Swimmers are a small group of amateur sea swimmers. The Channel Relay Team is: Adriano, Ellie, Emma, Frith, Kathryn, Maria, Marit and Toby. Tim is our coach and Paula is our key training partner.

We swim all year round in the sea in the Witterings, whatever the weather!

We understand the amazing benefits getting in the water makes to our physical health and mental well-being (which is why we hurl ourselves into the wind and waves most days!).

By swimming the Channel together as a team, we hope to raise at least £5000 to buy the sensory equipment and swimming aids to support the children in the water.

Swimming the English Channel is a unique and demanding swim, considered by many to be the ultimate long distance challenge. It will take between 12 - 18 hours of swimming in unpredictable conditions and including through the night. We will be swimming through one of the worlds busiest shipping lanes, possiblly encountering jellyfish, planks of wood, seaweed, at the same time as managing sea-sickness and the cold. The sea temperature in July ranges from 14 - 18 degrees ( no wetsuits allowed )

We have officially started our training both in wetsuits ( to practice distance ) and out of wetsuits (to adapt to the cold. )

and to get used to swimming in the dark ....

Every penny raised goes directly to the school. All Jolly Swimmers cover their own costs.