Godalming woman to swim English Channel for RAF veterans' cause
A woman from Surrey is to swim the English Channel to raise funds for a veterans' charity.Helen Jenkins from Godalming will swim the 21 miles (33.7km) between Dover and France in July.She will be raising funds for five charities, including the RAF Benevolent Fund, and Charlie's Promise, a Surrey-based anti-knife crime charity.She said she was taking on the challenge in memory of her grandfather William Forth, an RAF flight engineer.
She said: "My grandfather was killed in the Second World War, which left his wife with three young children to raise, one of whom was my dad Peter."I lost dad three years ago, so I wanted to give back to the Fund to help anyone that may lose a family member in the same way my dad did back on 5 May 1943."
She has been in training for two years, including several swim camps in Dover, and has already raised over £2,800 for her charities."The challenge will involve approximately 15 and a half hours of non-stop swimming" she explained, "but could be longer depending on conditions and fatigue – or equally less for the same reasons."There are only 1,881 people who have swum the Channel so this is a huge challenge that only has a 60% success rate, but I am enjoying the journey to the start line and just hope that everything aligns on the day to get me across the Channel."I'm looking forward to touching the sand in France."Ms Jenkins is also raising funds for Dementia UK, Young Minds and Pleasant Valley Camp.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
8 hours ago
- Wales Online
Today's rugby news as Wales international left heartbroken again and new cap reveals tearful phone call
Today's rugby news as Wales international left heartbroken again and new cap reveals tearful phone call The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world Sam Davies of Grenoble during the Top 14 Access Match between Grenoble and Perpignan (Image: Getty Images ) Here are your rugby headlines for Sunday, June 15. Sam Davies heartbreak after play-off defeat Sam Davies was left heartbroken once again after his Grenoble side were narrowly beaten by Perpignan in the play-off match for a spot in France's Top 14 next season. Grenoble were defeated in the Pro D2 play-off final against Montauban last week, however they were granted another opportunity for promotion in what is called the 'Top 14 Access Match' – a play-off between the runners-up and the 13th-placed team in the Top 14. However, Wales international Davies, who has been sensational for Grenoble this season, was unable to steer his side to victory, with Perpignan coming out 13-11 winners. Perpignan made a flying start, with Tavite Veredamu crossing the line in just the third minute. Grenoble thought they had hit back through winger Wilfried Hulleu, but the officials correctly ruled out two potential tries. Thomas Lainault eventually got Grenoble on the board, and a Davies penalty nudged them into an 8–7 lead at halftime. The second half remained tense and tactical. Tommaso Allan restored Perpignan's advantage with a penalty in the 65th minute, only for Romain Trouilloud to level things up ten minutes later. But Allan had the final say, slotting over a decisive kick two minutes from time to seal the victory and secure Perpignan's place in the Top 14. Article continues below For Grenoble, it's back to the drawing board — yet again — with questions continuing to mount. It's their third promotion play-off defeat in a row. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Wales prop's dad left in tears Uncapped Wales player Garyn Phillips has revealed that his father was in tears after his call up. The Ospreys front row was one of six players called up by Matt Sherratt who have never played international rugby. Teammates Keelan Giles and Reuben Morgan-Williams were also given the call. The three Swansea-based players featured in a recent interview on the Welsh Rugby Union's social channels, with Phillips explaining what it was like getting called up for the first time. "I was sat on the settee with my missus," began Phillips. "The first person I told was my old man, gave him a ring and he was a bit teary on the phone. I gave my old girl a call then." Speaking about how he has settled in to camp, Phillips explained that knowing the Ospreys boys has helped him to integrate. "I've played with a lot of the boys before in the U20s and U18s," he continued. "Obviously familiar with Nicky (Smith) and Gar (Thomas) as well. It's been pretty easy to settle in." Join our WalesOnline rugby WhatsApp community here. Leinster crowned URC champions By PA Sport Staff Leinster lifted their first trophy since 2021 after a convincing 32-7 BKT United Rugby Championship grand final win over the Pretoria Bulls at Croke Park. The wet weather failed to deter an attendance of 46,127 - a record for a league decider in Ireland - as Leo Cullen's men became the first table-topping team to win the title in the URC era. Despite Jamison Gibson-Park's pre-match withdrawal, Leinster roared into a 19-0 half-time lead with tries from captain Jack Conan, Jordie Barrett and Josh van der Flier. Beaten finalists in 2022 and 2024, the Bulls crossed in the 50th minute through replacement Akker van der Merwe to cancel out a Sam Prendergast penalty. Prendergast took his haul to 10 points and replacement Fintan Gunne's closing try was fittingly converted by the Gloucester-bound Ross Byrne. Conan pointed the way for the hosts with a fifth-minute try, crashing over following an initial maul and Prendergast quickly converted. Departing All Black Barrett got his right boot to Luke McGrath's deft dink in the 13th minute, opening up the Bulls' back-field to brilliantly score beside the posts. Van der Flier emerged through a maul to make it 19-0, as penalties continued to prove costly for the Bulls. The South Africans finally got some momentum, battering away before Willie le Roux was guilty of a poor kick and then a forward pass. Although Prendergast opened the second-half scoring, the visitors hit back when Van der Merwe drove over for Johan Goosen to convert. It remained 22-7 with the Irish province failing to capitalise on a tap penalty, while Prendergast pushed another one wide. The young fly-half was back on target in the 67th minute and Gunne then scored from a neat wraparound move - a fine finish to the campaign for Leinster's 12 British and Irish Lions representatives. 'Sky's the limit' for Bath after ending 29-year title drought By Rachel Steinberg, PA Bath captain Ben Spencer declared "the sky's the limit" after his side ended a 29-year wait for a Premiership title and secured an historic treble with a 23-21 triumph over Leicester at Allianz Stadium. Leicester came up just short of a fairytale farewell for scrum-half Ben Youngs and prop Dan Cole, who have both called time on their careers after this season and were introduced after the break. Bath held on after a late Tigers surge narrowed the deficit to two points - despite going down to 14 men after Cole was controversially sent to the sin bin - through a late Emeka Ilione try to raise the Twickenham tension. "Just relief, pride," said Spencer, when asked to sum up his feelings. "This has taken a lot of hard work from a lot of people. Relief not just for me, but for the players, the staff, and the fans. The fans are a massive part of why I joined the club. "I think the future of this club is unbelievably bright, no matter who pulls on the shirt. I can't speak highly enough of the guys coming through. Their work ethic is second to none, and as long as we keep our feet on the floor and wanting to get better, the sky's the limit for this team." Bath's tries came from Thomas du Toit and Max Ojomoh on what became a brilliant afternoon for Scotland's Finn Russell, who overcame early frustrations to kick 13 points, also teeing up Ojomoh after snatching an interception from inside his own half. Jack van Poortvliet opened the scoring with a try for Leicester, while second-half tries from Solomone Kata and Ilione nearly sparked a comeback. Handre Pollard added three Leicester conversions but the World Cup-winning South African fly-half will rue what might have been after a rare penalty miss. Tigers twice had men sent to the sin bin - departing captain Julian Montoya late in the first half, while Cole's swansong concluded unceremoniously with a controversial yellow. Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan said: "Our whole focus this season was on winning the Premiership. We gave ourselves that goal, kept that within the circle." The South African coach said he would now pause for a moment of reflection before focusing on next season. He added: "The day you stand still is the day somebody catches you. You must always train like number two because the other guys are coming. The best is yet to come." Article continues below Leicester head coach Michael Cheika - to be replaced by Geoff Parling - will leave this summer at the end of his one-year contract, in addition to Argentina hooker Montoya, Pollard and former England back Mike Brown. And although he felt he would get himself "in strife" for disclosing what he felt about some of the decisions that went against his side - vowing to take it up with the RFU's officiating chief Paul Hull as a "final bit of banter" - Cheika was delighted by his team's resilience and felt the future of the club was bright. He added: "I feel like if we can take those things that are intangible around belief and the standards you need to have to be able to compete, then it won't be long before they are on that podium themselves."
Daily Mirror
15 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Bayern Munich vs Auckland City Club World Cup prediction, odds and betting offer
Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich face Auckland City with the New Zealand-based looking to cause one of the biggest upsets in world football Safe to say this will be one of the biggest mismatches in the competition as Bayern Munich face Auckland in the Club World Cup as the two sides go head-to-head at the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati. Bayern Munich are entering their first group stage match as the clear favourites, poised to take on Auckland City - who are a huge 200/1 odds to cause one of the biggest upsets in world football. Despite Auckland City's impressive record as Oceania's most successful team, having clinched 11 of the last 13 OFC Champions League titles, the difference in calibre between the two sides is stark. Auckland City operates as an amateur club, with players receiving a modest weekly stipend of about $90 to cover basic expenses. Given these circumstances, it's no surprise that there's a buzz of excitement within the Auckland squad as they gear up for what promises to be a unique and memorable occasion. As Bayern Munich prepare for this tournament, they've been bolstered by the return of Dayot Upamecano and Jamal Musiala to training following extended injury absences. The plan is to reintroduce both players gradually into competitive play during the Club World Cup. Additionally, Bayern have reinforced their lineup with two strategic early summer acquisitions: Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen and Tom Bischof from Hoffenheim. Both players are eligible and have been included in Bayern's squad for the Club World Cup, adding further depth to their already formidable team. Bayern Munich vs Auckland Odds Bayern - 1/100 Draw - 60/1 Auckland - 200/1 18+ | Gamble responsibly | | Odds subject to change Bayern Munich vs Auckland Betting Tips Bayern to score over 5.5 goals - 13/8 Harry Kane to score anytime - 3/10 18+ | Gamble responsibly | | Odds subject to change Club World Cup Betting Offers If you are on the lookout for the latest free bet offers, then look no further. Here, not only do we bring you numerous free bet offers, but all from the very best betting sites in the industry. Each bookie we recommend is fully licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, so you know you are always betting on a safe and trustworthy site. Check out the Mirror Betting Hubs Free Bets offers here. Gamble responsibly Reach plc is committed to promoting safer gambling. All of our content and recommended bets are advised to those aged 18 or over. Odds are subject to change too. We strongly encourage our readers to only ever bet what they can afford to lose. For more information, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or visit
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Fernando Alonso sparks rumours with four visits to rival F1 team at Canadian GP
Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft sparked a new paddock rumour at the Canadian Grand Prix by talking about Fernando Alonso's visits to other teams during a live broadcast Fernando Alonso has been spotted entering the hospitality unit of a rival Formula 1 team on several occasions in Montreal this weekend. That was reported by David Croft who exposed the Spaniard's visits during a live broadcast at the Canadian Grand Prix. Alonso is in his third season as an Aston Martin driver. And he has a contract until at least the end of the 2026 season, having last year signed an extension to commit to driving in F1 until he is at least 45 years old. But Sky Sports F1 commentator Croft has sparked suggestions that he might be looking elsewhere. Speaking during final practice in Montreal on Saturday, he revealed how Alonso had been seen visiting his old team Alpine no fewer than four times. The Spaniard left Alpine at the end of 2022, ending his third spell with the Enstone-based team having previously won two F1 titles at Renault under Flavio Briatore in the mid-2000s. And Croft has now sparked rumours of a reunion between them. He said: "Where there's an Alpine story about driver movement, there's a Fernando Alonso rumour as well. Those rumours once again surfacing this morning in the paddock. Fernando Alonso has been into the Alpine motorhome four times during the course of this weekend. "That's not just to see his old mate Flav, even though his mum and dad are in town and I'm sure they've been having a bit of a catch up. Is something going on that could see Fernando Alonso back at Enstone again for a fourth time? Watch this space on that one, that's just the paddock rumour." READ MORE: Martin Brundle disagrees with Ferrari legend as Lewis Hamilton's boss comes under fire The driver situation at Alpine has been extremely changeable already so far in 2025. Pierre Gasly looks to be settled as the team leader there, but the Frenchman has already had two team-mates so far in 2025 with Jack Doohan having lost his seat to Franco Colapinto. But the Argentine has struggled since being elevated into that racing role and Briatore has already shown signs of impatience. Alonso's visits to the Alpine motorhome will only serve to fuel speculation that he might be an option for them going forward. Briatore signed Alonso to Renault in the first place, having controversially dropped Jenson Button to make room for him two decades ago. They have maintained a relationship ever since, Briatore continuing to manage the Spaniard's career. But if race seat options have indeed been the topic of discussion during Alonso's visits to the Alpine hospitality unit, then it may not necessarily just be about the veteran double F1 champion. Alonso also serves as manager to Sauber racer Gabriel Bortoleto, plus a couple of drivers in the feeder series' including Pepe Marti and Nikola Tsolov.
