Of course not!

But there is someone who is prepared to swim on their behalf  – And he needs help.

Donald Perrott will attempt to swim 35 kms across the English Channel early in August this year. It will take him approximately 14 hours non-stop! He is doing this to raise funds for the PATH OUT OF POVERTY PRE-SCHOOL at the Goedgedacht Farm in the Western Cape, South Africa. This vital Educational project is swimming against the tide and battling to stay afloat.

The Pre-school has been educating children of very poor farm labourers for the past 12 yrs and has been sustained mainly by donations from loyal friends, Funding agencies and Corporate businesses.  Due to the economic meltdown two major donors have been unable to fulfill their promises and as a result children have had to be turned away. This year we have only been able to admit 55 instead of 84 children- and we’re not even sure we’ll be able to keep these beyond 2010 unless we get help. Its been really worrying – and then Don came up with this fabulous idea to help these children.

720 children have already passed through this school and gone on to do well at Primary and High school. In fact we have had 18 of them pass their final year at school thus breaking out of the endless cycle of poverty and illiteracy previously so prevalent in this farming community. It is unthinkable that we should see this excellent pre-school so vital to any child’s education sink.

PLEASE will you help Don keep it afloat by sponsoring his swim?

Update: He did it!! Don finished the swim in 12hrs 16mins yesterday 3 August 2010! Brilliant! Especially as the wind got up half way and made the sea very choppy and the going more tough. If you look at his website www.justgiving.com/my-trip-to-france you will see just how well his appeal has done for the farm children and the amount does not include donations paid in directly to Goedgedacht. His target: £12,000.00, raised so far: £10,849.00 or 90%.

He says he just concentrated on every stroke and his determination to “make it”. He says his support team, (two of his brothers Andy and Geoff and two good friends Rob and Andy) were fantastic and kept his spirits up feeding him on bananas and energy drinks and sending him encouraging messages. Geoff in fact swam behind him for an hour, when he was feeling the brunt of the battle with the waves, which he says was a great help knowing he was there willing him on!

So the family and friends are rejoicing to-day as you can imagine. We spoke to Don this morning and he said he is feeling like he is walking on air having fulfilled a dream he has had for 16 years.  He said he is ready to go again in a few days!! Heaven forbid!!

You can make a once off donation of your own choice or perhaps you would prefer to donate £2 or £5 per kilometre of his swim. If you are happy to help in this way please either :

• Send a cheque to: GROW PEACE( Ref: Don’s Channel swim N214swim) post it to Grow Peace, 27 Lower Brook St, Ipswich, Suffolk. IP41AQ   or

• Make a direct money transfer (Ref: Don’s Channel swim N214swim)
  Account Name: GROW PEACE
  Bank BARCLAYS
  Sort Code: 20-44-51
  Account No: 90040983

Grow Peace is a UK Registered Charity No: 1091687