An Elmbridge youngster will brave the raw sewage and jelly fish of the English Channel this September in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Dan Meyrick, who hopes to raise over £10,000, decided to follow his dream after losing a close friend to cancer at the tender age of 21.

Weather permitting, he will make the solo attempt between September 11 and 19.

Dan said: “Just for one day of my life I will swim for 16 hours plus in the world’s busiest shipping lane.

“The Macmillan nurses helped my friend every step of the way and we are all still so grateful for the amazing job they did.”

A fundraiser for Macmillan said: “It’s great to work with someone who has big ideas and really follows through on them.

"We really want to help him reach his £10,000 target and the money will go straight to helping people affected by cancer with their day to day lives.”

For information on how to donate to the cause, visit justgiving.com/danmeyrick

• Got a great story for us? Let us know by email here, phone the newsdesk on 020 8330 9555 or leave a comment below.