Express delivery employees attempt to swim English Channel

Sharron Davies MBE, Olympic swimming silver medallist supports the swim

Audacious  bid to raise thousands of £s for children's charity Wooden Spoon

Swimmer travels half way round the world to play his part

Channel charity sponsorship could lead to record-breaking donation to Wooden Spoon.

Express delivery experts TNT are sending a crack team to create a courageous charity cash splash when they launch a bid to swim the English Channel this Monday (August 23rd).

The eight-strong team are taking the plunge in the TNT 'Shore-to-shore we can' Challenge to raise funds for the children's charity, Wooden Spoon - edging TNT Express Services' total donation to Spoon nearer to its £3 million target.

The big-hearted swimmers - one woman and seven male colleagues - will begin their assault on the Channel from Folkestone at 8am, heading through the unforgiving waves towards the beach at Cap Gris Nez near Calais in France, striving to cover the 23-mile stretch before midnight.

TNT has already generated well over £2.5 million in aid for Wooden Spoon but the swim represents one of the most daring initiatives ever undertaken by the company and the challenge of a lifetime for each individual team member, one of whom has travelled from Mauritius to play his part.

Charles Cartier is swapping the warming waters of the Indian Ocean for the chilly choppy Channel. As the Country General Manager for TNT in Mauritius, Charles reports into TNT here in the UK and as an 'Iron Man' he is used to extreme challenges combining swimming, marathon running and cycling.

The rest of the team; Heather Mather, Jon Straw, Daniel Vines, Simon Bradbury, Owen Maybank, Julian Crabtree and Steve Foster have trainED in pools, lakes and sea water, while holding down their 'day jobs' in preparation for the swim.

Their dedication and commitment in wanting to help improve the quality of life for thousands of youngsters who are mentally, physically or socially disadvantaged has won the support of a celebrity who knows a thing or two about swimming -  Olympic silver medallist Sharron Davies MBE.

Sharron, who will be on the beach at Folkestone to see the swim begin said: "I am delighted to play my part in helping TNT's Shore-to-shore we can Channel swim Challenge - it's a pleasure and a privilege to support a group of people who are so dedicated and committed to helping disadvantaged children in the UK today.

"You can't help but admire the efforts and the determination of the TNT swimmers - they've been training for months, giving up their evenings and their weekends and holding down their 'day jobs' while preparing for the challenge of their lives.

"I never cease to be amazed by the generosity of spirit of people who want to help others who are most in need, and I wish the TNT team every success in tackling the dangers of the Channel and raising money for Wooden Spoon."

The English Channel is one of the busiest and most hazardous shipping lanes in the world and the TNT swimmers will also have to cope with jellyfish, pollution and debris. Jon Straw, Captain of the 'shore-to-shore we can' team explained what's motivating them to make the swim.

He said:" TNT has a strong corporate responsibility ethos and we all want to help make a positive difference to the lives of disabled and disadvantaged children. The swim represents a monumental personal challenge for all of us and we desperately want to succeed where many other Channel swim attempts have failed."

GPS tracking will be deployed to monitor the team's progress across the Channel with TNT partnering up with satellite tracking experts Masternaut. This will enable the swim to be followed in real time with 'live feeds' at http://bit.ly/dhziNR (from 08.00hrs next Monday).

TNT is the biggest single benefactor of Wooden Spoon having raised £2.5m in recent years. The company is determined to reach the £3m milestone by the end of 2011.

Bill Hill, Chief Executive of Wooden Spoon said:" TNT set a new benchmark in the corporate community for their charitable support and social responsibility. Their employees go to extraordinary lengths to raise funds for Wooden Spoon and the 'shore-to-shore we can' swim demonstrates just how far they will go!

"Good luck to them all."

If anyone wishes to sponsor the swim they can simply on at www.justgiving.com/shoretoshore  and make a pledge.