A TEN-YEAR-OLD boy from Darwen is swimming the length of the English Channel to raise money for charity.

Gregory Birchenough has signed up to swim 22 miles in order to help raise in excess of £500,000 for ASPIRE, one of the UK's leading spinal injury charities.

From Monday, September 17, Gregory from Huntington Drive, Darwen, will start his challenge, which must be completed within 12 weeks. He will swim the distance in his local swimming pools, at Daisyfield Swimming Pool and Shadsworth Leisure Centre.

A pupil at Holy Trinity Primary School, Darwen, Gregory will be training three times per week in the run up to the event.

He said: "I really enjoy swimming and I attend the Blackburn Centurions Swimming Club three times per week. I really want to push myself to the limit and see what I can do, it's a great way to raise money for ASPIRE too. I think it will be really hard work but I'm looking forward to it."

Gregory's mum Claire Birchenough is the swimming development officer for Blackburn with Darwen Council and when she saw the leaflet for the ASPIRE Channel Swim she thought it would be a good thing for him to do.

Claire, 37, says: "We were discussing things Gregory might like to do when he is older and as well as swimming the Channel he also said he would like to climb Mount Everest, but I think this is more attainable.

"So when I saw the leaflet I suggested it to Gregory. He is really looking forward to the challenge. Initially he was quite phased by the distance but he felt much better when he realised he had 12 weeks to complete it."

For 12 weeks swimming pools across the country will open their doors to hundreds of swimmers who are embarking on the epic swimming challenge to either swim the distance on their own like Gregory, or by splitting the difference between a group of friends.

If readers would like to sponsor Gregory please contact the Swimming Development Office on 01254 662619.

The ASPIRE Channel Swim is a successful event now in its eighth year. Every year hundreds of school children, Brownies, Guides, Cubs and Scouts also join in.

To take part in the ASPIRE Channel Swim please contact Rosie Cotton, ASPIRE Channel Swim, Freepost Ang40106, Stanmore, HA7 4BR, FREEPHONE 08000 370 880 or log onto www.aspirechannelswim.co.uk