THIS July, Marc Newman will be attempting to swim the English Channel and raise money for Julia's House children's hospice.

Thirty-one years ago he swam the English Channel for the first time. This year he planning to do it again at the end of July but he is going the long way round, starting from a different location, Dungeness.

As a result the crossing will be nearly 25 per cent longer than the traditional route, a distance of 26 miles.

This has never been completed before so will be a world first if he completes the swim.

Newman have swum the English Channel solo a total of five times, with his fastest crossing coming in 1986 in a time of 8 hours 35 minutes.

The Dungeness to France swim has long been an ambition of the swimmer and his coach Tom Watch to swim but due to the considerable cost of swimming the Channel he has always swum the tried and tested route from Dover.

Watch, who is now 87 years old and lives in Weymouth, has been Newman’s coach for more than 30 years and has been coaching Channel swimmers since 1951.

Newman trains in the sea in Weymouth and the Poole and Bournemouth area, and is a member of the East Dorset Open Water Swimming Club and Poole Swimming Club.

Last year I raised money for Julia's House, the Dorset Children's Hospice, providing respite care and support to children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and their families.

He is swimming the daunting route for Julia’s House. The charity has already benefited from £2400 after Newman failed in his attempts to complete the swim last year.

He is now re-opening his Just Giving page so he can add to the total.

After funding himself last year, he is hoping to obtain sponsorship and funding to pay for the cost of the escort boat and the Channel Swimming Association fees.

If you would like to help fund Marc’s epic adventure, contact him on 07557 411419.

Alternatively, if you would like to sponsor him you can donate at https://www.justgiving.com/Marc-Newman.