On 19th September I’ll be taking part in a two-mile swim in the Serpentine in London to raise money for Thrive Autism. I hadn’t been in a pool for over two years before beginning my training, and I’ve never swum anything like two miles, so this will be a significant challenge both mentally and physically.

Over the coming weeks I’ll be putting in a huge amount of training just to get myself to the start line in a position where I can realistically complete the swim.

This campaign means a lot to me. My partner’s granddaughter is autistic and I also have several close friends with autistic children. Founded in 2024 by my good friend Colin Lang MBE, Thrive Autism does incredible work supporting autistic children and young people, helping them build confidence, independence and develop the life skills they need to thrive.

My initial fundraising target is £1,000 – enough to fund the diagnosis of one child and their first block of therapy sessions. Every donation, no matter how large or small, brings us closer to that goal. Once we’ve reached it, I’ll raise the target and keep going to help even more autistic children and their families.

Every pound raised will help support that work and make a real difference to the lives of autistic children, young people and their families.

If you’d like to support me, I’d be hugely grateful.