Congratulations to Lycetts employee Alistair Cottle who has successfully swam the English Channel in aid of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He completed it in just under 14 and a half hours which is hugely impressive given that fewer people have acheived this particular challenge than climbed Mount Everest.

The English Channel is 21 miles long and can take between 10-20 hours to swim, the record being 6 hours and 57 minutes. The water is usually only between 15-18 degrees centigrade which would explain one of the potential risks being hypothermia. Others include jellyfish, debris and the 400 commercial ships that use the Channel every day.

The reason behind Alistair's swim was to raise as much money as possible for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Founded in June 1986 Make-A-Wish grants wishes to extraordinary children aged 3-17 who are fighting life-threatening illnesses. Whether the children's wish is to meet their favourite celebrity, be a fireman for the day or just to spend some quality time with their family away from home, Make-A-Wish aim to grant it to them.

For more information on Alistair's swim or to donate money to the Make-A-Wish Foundation you can visit http://www.als-swimming.org/site/