Group to swim English Channel in charity fundraiser

A team of five swimmers is taking on the English Channel to raise money for charities that helped two of their children.

The group, dubbed the 'Gloucester Dippers', consists of Gill, 48, Ben Slatter, 45, Dan Knapman, 40, Gary Young, 53, and Rich Molloy, 51, all of whom live in the city.

They are raising money for Anthony Nolan UK and Young Gloucestershire, after two of the families were helped with a bone marrow transplant and the eating disorder, anorexia.

Parent, Gill, said she hopes a fundraising goal of £10,000 will "ensure that other families can access their crucial support".

The mix of former rugby players and coaches, triathletes and cyclists, will attempt to swim the 21 miles (33.5km), from Dover to Cap Gris Nez in France in a relay.

They hope to swim into their final destination together on 30 September after a year of preparations.

Mr Molloy's daughter, Maddie, was admitted to hospital with a rare illness called severe aplastic anaemia when she had started her university course as a nurse in October 2022.

When her bone marrow failed, the NHS transplant team were able to find a match - a man in Germany - through Anthony Nolan UK.

Mr Molloy's partner, Hayley, told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: "His bone marrow was taken, flown over on an EasyJet flight and delivered to a Bristol hospital and given to Maddie that same day."

Gill said her daughter, Rose, who is now 16, went through an "incredibly difficult time" during and after the Coronavirus lockdowns with anorexia and "intrusive thoughts".

She said: “I know how hard it still is to access mental health support with waiting lists of at least 18 months.

"So many families feel they have no option but to give up, and having Young Gloucestershire advocating for us with the professionals was so important.

“This challenge is about raising awareness of children’s mental health and stem cell donation and raising £10,000 to split between the two charities to ensure that other families can access their crucial support.”

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