Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Having been born and raised in Dingle, on the banks of the River Mersey, it has always been an ambition of mine to mirror my father's achievement of swimming across the River. As a young man, my dad swam purely for the challenge. Now, at the age of 57 (and before it's too late!), I hope to emulate his feat and perhaps earn my place in family folklore too.

Of course, this challenge is very personal to me in more ways than one. By attempting the crossing I hope to raise funds for a local charity which is also very close to my heart. I have been involved with Active Hope for a number of years and the charity works with some of the most underprivileged primary school children in our country.

Active Hope provides exciting outdoor and adventurous activities which offer opportunities to experience challenge and help children to develop valuable life skills. The result is that these young people gain confidence and obtain a fantastic sense of achievement.

The charity means so much to me because it reminds me of the people from my past who were kind enough to help me along life's highway through similar outdoor experiences.

The swim itself is between Monks Ferry and the Albert Dock in Liverpool on the 6th August 2016. The distance, as the crow flies, is 1.1 miles but I will have to contend with the second fastest tide in the UK, endure river temperatures of approximately 14ºc and battle with the unpredictability of waves. Hopefully there are not too many jellyfish!

I would be very grateful for any support you can give.

Joe 

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