Charities

Click on the logos to be directed to the Charity's website to learn more about the fantastic work that they do

I have been supporting the work of the Samaritans for a number of years after losing my dad to suicide when I was nine years old. As a travelling antique dealer and passionate sailor, he struggled with a loss of independence after suffering a massive stroke when he was 42 years old. The simple but vital service provided by the Samaritans helps those experiencing despair, isolation and depression.

I want my swim to help to provide this invaluable listening services for society’s most desperate and vulnerable people. Through their network of dedicated volunteers all over the UK, the Samaritans aim to reduce the number of people affected by suicide.

Samaritans provide a unique lifeline to support people 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The service relies on donations to keep going, and I hope that my Channel Swim will help to maintain one of the charity’s 496 emergency lines that cost £22,177 a year to maintain.

The Samaritans receives a new contact from someone in distress every seven seconds – which comes to 4.8 million a year.

1 in 4 of us know someone, personally, who has died by suicide.

Last year Samaritans volunteers gave 2,446,800 hours of their time to provide confidential, emotional support. You don’t need to give your time, but a donation towards the Samaritans work would be greatly appreciated

As the official Clipper race charity, I have been involved with the Philip Green Memorial Trust since taking part in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in 2002/03.

The Philip Green Memorial Trust is a charitable organisation which helps sick and disabled children all over the UK and overseas. It supports welfare, medical and educational projects as well as helping individual children to lead a normal life.

The Philip Green Memorial Trust was formed in 1985 by Cyril Paskin following the death of his close friend and fellow philanthropist, Philip Green. Supported by a group of Phil's close friends, they pledged to continue the good work Phil had begun in the East End of London where he grew up. Phil's daughter Rosalind died at a very young age from meningitis, so it was decided that the majority of the Trust's efforts would be directed in helping children.

Since the Trust's inception, it has distributed in excess of £3,000,000 to over 200 organisations and individuals. The major beneficiaries of the Trust's fundraising over the last few years have been the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington; the PACE Centre at Philip Green House in Buckinghamshire; Philip Green Memorial School in Dorset; Churchtown in Cornwall; Oakleigh School in Barnet and Richard House Children's Hospice in London's East End.

The Trust not only responds to the needs of large projects but to the daily exasperation of individuals and smaller organisations for whom a little money can make dreams come true. A great example of this was when the Trust provided a holiday for some Mencap children whose hard earned funds were stolen by thieves.

The Trust has no independent source of funds and relies fully on charitable donations.