Pupils and staff who swam 22 miles across the English Channel in an amazing feat have raised £11,500 for charity.
Emma Hounslow, Emily Lawton, Skyla Coate, Ollie Halliday, Imogen Childs, Jonny Cole and Annabelle Lewes, raised the funds for the Royal Marine Charity. They completed the Channel Titan 16 swim in 14 hours and 23 minutes, finishing just after midnight on September 20th. They beat a staff team of teachers and were pipped by a Royal Marine team by just 3 minutes!
Last week they came together at a celebratory dinner with the beneficiaries to recognise their huge achievement. They were congratulated by The Royal Marines and received messages from The Deputy Commandant General Royal Marines Brigadier Richard Spencer OBE who described the children as “brave and generous”.
Captain John White, an injured Royal Marine who lives locally, was on hand to congratulate the children on a magnificent achievement and described how the money will be used to help similarly injured Marines. He explained how the charity had supported him recently in a trip to a specialist hospital in the U.S where he was fitted with new prosthetic legs and an arm, which he was unable to get in the UK. This has enabled him to work and live independently with his young family.
All of the participants were presented with their certificates by the organiser, Head of Geography, Hamish McCarthy, a former Officer of Royal Engineers and Channel swimmer himself, and Major Jim Lewis the captain of the Royal Marine Team. He praised the children for their fortitude and courage.
