Monday, May 23, 2011

Verity’s charity challenge

Lots of you will already know Verity of Verity’s Virago Venture but for those who don’t Verity is in the middle of moving house, planning a wedding, and in just under a week now she’s planning to embark on the test of a lifetime as she swims10km in Dorney Lake on 28th May to raise vital funds for Mind, the mental health charity, and Macmillan Cancer support.

This really is an epic challenge, the swimmer’s equivalent of the marathon, which she anticipates will take her around 3.5 hours in 16C water, and she has already been swimming 20-30km per week in training. Verity is aiming to raise at least £2000 through the event which will be equally split between the two charities.

The reason Verity is doing this in the middle of all the other things going on in her life? I quote:
“I am extremely excited about getting married this summer but very sad that three people who were close to us will not be around to join in the celebrations. I want to raise money for Mind in memory of my school friend Emily who took her life in 2006, and for Macmillan in memory of Ken’s stepfather Don and father Leslie who lost their lives to cancer in October 2010 and April 2011 respectively. These are fantastic charities which offer immense support for those dealing with mental health problems and the many forms of cancer.”
Funds raised by Verity will help the leading mental health charity Mind continue its vital work with the 1 in 4 people who experience mental health problems and will help Macmillan provide practical, emotional and financial support to the 1 in 3 people who will get cancer during their lives.”

The statistics speak for themselves, cancer and mental health problems will at one point or another affect all of us either directly or through our friends and family, Verity has made a huge effort to raise funds (it exhausts me to even think about it) and she really deserves support as do her causes. Please if you’re reading this consider sponsoring her, and better yet actually sponsor her!

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