On 17th June I will be swimming 3.8km down the River Arun to fundraise for ‘The Wave Project’ and ‘FiredUp4’, two amazing charities that support young people and help them see the benefits of surfing and sea swimming and ceramics respectively.

FiredUp4 with Inspire Chorley Youth Zone allows thousands of young people to enjoy the benefits of pottery by providing pottery studios, equipment and training to OnSide Youth Zone. Many of these young people are vulnerable and marginalised and would not otherwise have this opportunity.

The Wave Project improves the mental health and wellbeing of young people through the power of surf therapy, with 1 in 6 children in the UK struggling with their social, emotional or mental health.

Getting in the sea and using clay are two of my favourite things so this seemed like an apt challenge. I will be swimming the second-fastest flowing tidal river in the UK!

This is the 15th year the River Arun Swim has taken place; I will be swimming over the classic Ironman distance of 3.8km from Ford to Littlehampton. I would be so grateful for any donations to my JustGiving page for these two amazing charities.

Isobel X

More about the charities:

FiredUp4

The objective of FiredUp4 is to equip and staff two pottery studios for OnSide Youth Zone Chorley Inspire and Wigan Youth; these pottery studios could be a door to a creative life for a child.

FiredUp4 celebrates the work of the UK’s leading ceramicists through an innovative fundraising campaign which enables hundreds of young people to enjoy the benefits of working with clay

FiredUp4 founder Kate Malone MBE says: “Creativity and hand skills need not make a world of artists; it can make well rounded individuals who can be creative in all subjects and feel empowered by the ability to create. I passionately believe making with hands has therapeutic benefits that all children should be able to experience.”

The Wave Project

The Wave Project provides “therapy that doesn’t feel like therapy.”

Poor mental health impacts every area of a child’s life - the relationships they build, their academic performance and their physical health. The Wave Project’s NHS-recognised therapies deliver a real difference to children who need it. They combine the therapeutic elements of the ocean with the adventure of surfing and a supportive culture of acceptance to help children do things they never thought possible