A charity supporting people with a Spinal Cord Injury is celebrating its 100th relay swim across the English Channel in August.
Aspire’s milestone swim will highlight their extensive contributions to Spinal Cord Injury support in the UK, raising money to fund vital services and programmes.
One member of Aspire’s original Channel Relay team of 2009, Eleanor Reddington (pictured above), will be joining Team Llama to swim the 100th channel crossing and mark the occasion.
She will be joined by five others who have also previously swam the Channel in an Aspire relay team: Katy Bradfield, Robyn Carter, Marc Gledhill, Alice Stone and Paul Parrish, Aspire’s Director of Fundraising & Marketing.
Last year Eleanor swam 70 miles for her 70th birthday, raising more than £3,000 for Aspire. She is one of the charity’s biggest supporters, raising £20,000 over the last 20 years.
Since 2009, Aspire’s Relay Channel Swim event has raised more than £3.5 million, with 95 teams of six taking on one of the world’s toughest open-water swimming challenges in support of the cause.
Driving aids and vehicle adaptation company for people with disabilities, Mobility in Motion, is sponsoring this year’s milestone event, saving Aspire £3,500 in costs that will instead go directly to funding the charity’s services and programmes.
“Reaching our 100th Channel crossing is a testament to the dedication of our swimmers and supporters,” said Paul Parrish, Director of Fundraising and Marketing for Aspire.
“Every single swimmer who has taken part in our swim programme over the last 20 years should be proud of their achievements and of the profound difference they have made to the lives of people with spinal cord injury.
“Each swim represents a step forward in providing critical services and programs that empower individuals to regain independence and lead fulfilling lives.
“The funds raised over the last two decades have done so much for so many and we hope this continues for many more to come. We want to thank the team at Mobility in Motion for supporting our 100th crossing and underwriting the cost of the pilot boat. It will make this crossing not just symbolic but financially practical in helping people with Spinal Cord Injury.”
Aspire provides practical support to the 105,000 people living with a Spinal Cord Injury in the UK through its projects and programmes.
The charity offers a temporary accessible Housing Programme to support those living with a Spinal Cord Injury as well as providing wider services that offer advice on Housing, Welfare Benefits and Independent Living. It also offers an Assistive Technology service to help people, regardless of the level of injury to use computers, laptops or phones, preventing the isolation that can follow after a serious injury.
To find out more visit https://www.aspire.org.uk/
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