Help social worker Simon swim the extra mile for children
Published by Professional Social Work magazine, 8 June, 2023
A social worker is to swim the English Channel this summer to raise money for families struggling in the cost of living crisis.
Simon Parry says he decided to do the 21-mile fundraiser after seeing the impact on the children that he works with.
“I have never seen it as bad as this,” he said. “Families are really feeling the pinch from high interest rates and food prices. They are struggling to feed their kids and pay the bills.
“It is having a knock-on effect. It’s tragic and the government is not doing enough to help children and families.”
More people have climbed Everest than have swum the Channel.
Simon will take on the challenge – which only has a 20 per cent success rate – this August. He has been swimming in the sea off the Lancashire cosast during the winter months, without a wetsuit, to prepare.
“It (requires) mental strength as well as fitness due to the conditions and weather," Simon said. "The more you experience the cold on your body from the sea the more you get used to it. As long as you keep moving you do not freeze up.”
The father-of-two from Wigan works for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Lancashire and south Cumbria.
He has set a target of raising £4,500 and has so far raised £1,581. The cash will go to support families this Christmas with food, bills and clothing, plus vouchers for days out. Money raised will also pay for play therapy toys to support children with their mental health.
Simon, who worked as a joiner before becoming a social worker in 2019, is no stranger to charity work and often raises money for children. Last Christmas he made a sleigh and dressed up as Santa to support local children with their mental health issues.
The 39-year-old held swimming records over the country in his youth and will need all his skills for the channel crossing – if the wind is going in the wrong direction, the 21-mile stretch can become more like 39 miles.
Simon said: “Another message I am trying to put out is that social workers will go the extra mile for kids. So many do, and it does not get noticed outside the social work community.”
He hopes his swim will inspire and empower children and families, including his four-year-old daughter Georgia who has speech delay.
His wife Christine, an NHS nurse, added: “We both work with children and families so this is quite close to our heart. Simon wants to show all children that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. It is mind over matter.
“He is working so hard. When he came out of the water in the winter months his feet were blue. It was minus-10 degrees.”
To support Simon donate here