Jonathan & Yvonne
£20.00
So impressed by Isla & Graeme , to swim at 72yrs and after a triple heart by pass to raise awareness of Debra & Isla is just a fantastic achievement , well done to the whole team xxx.
Total raised so far
100%
£751,920.00 of £750,000 target +£70,215.08 Gift Aid See breakdown
Recent donations
Anonymous
£20.00
+ £5.00 Gift Aid
Beth Collins
£50.00
+ £12.50 Gift Aid
Abigail McCahill
£50.00
+ £12.50 Gift Aid
Well done guys. Amazing cause x
Anonymous
£20.00
+ £5.00 Gift Aid
Anonymous
£50.00
+ £12.50 Gift Aid
An amazing achievement. Well done Graham and Isla
Anonymous
£100.00
+ £25.00 Gift Aid
Ceri Louise Williams
£10.00
+ £2.50 Gift Aid
This is such an important cause
Leigh
£10.00
+ £2.50 Gift Aid
For Isla and all the others living with this terrible condition
Paul Carlin
£5.00
+ £1.25 Gift Aid
You're making a difference
DEBRA UK Challenge 2025
Event date:
Graeme Souness is raising money for DEBRA
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My story
They did it…again!
What an incredible effort. Graeme and Team DEBRA have just swum from England to France and back, non-stop in 22 hours! All to support Graeme’s friend, Isla, and every child and adult living with the pain of butterfly skin (EB).
The team are tired, emotional, but incredibly proud of what they have achieved in the water. They’re also incredibly grateful for all the messages of goodwill and sponsorship received. With this funding we can test drugs which could be life changing.
Commenting as he got out of the boat, Graeme said:
“How do I feel? I’m knackered! I really am, no amount of training can prepare you for what we just did. Last time it was tough, but this time was even tougher. The weather was nice though!
I am emotional when I think about why we did this. To support Isla and everyone else living with this horrendous condition. I am also incredibly grateful. To the swim team, to the team that organised this, and to everyone out there who has supported us. You are incredible.
I don’t know how much we have raised but please stay with us, we haven’t beaten this yet. Every pound donated gets us one step closer to stopping the pain of EB. We’re not there yet though.
I’m going to eat, sleep, and then I’ll be on the Good Morning Britain couch with my wee friend, Isla, tomorrow morning! See you then”.
There is still time to sponsor Graeme and the team. And if you are inspired by what they have just achieved then why not set up your own fundraiser. Every pound raised takes us a step closer to stopping the pain of butterfly skin (EB).
Thank you.
Thank you for checking out my page. Making a donation is fast, easy and secure thanks to Give as you Live Donate. They'll take your donation and pass it onto DEBRA.
My updates
Hi guys,
It’s been just over a month now since the team and I swam from Dover to Calais, and back!
I’ve got some exciting news to share… you’ve helped us reach our target of £750,000! A big, big thank you to you all.
Your donations will help fund drug repurposing trials for those living with the devastating pain of butterfly skin.
Even though we’ve reached our original target, it would mean the world to me if we could hit that £1 million mark. This could then fund two clinical trials, essential to help stop the pain.
Please, please share our fundraising page with your family, friends, colleagues and let’s see if we can smash it out of the park.
Thanks so much again,
Graeme
Good morning
Well, what a 48 hours that has been!
The swim was tough, no doubt about it. Of course, being double the distance was always going to be a big challenge but I found it hard, I really did. I think all the guys did, but they’re not all 72 next week!
The weather was nice, at least during the day, but I think the extreme heat (hottest May 1st ever!) made it extra hard. I struggled to stay hydrated and felt very ill at times. The water was also choppy, certainly at night, which made us all feel very queasy.
We did it though. The swim team were amazing, and the High Hopes crew were brilliant. Lindsey from DEBRA kept the energy up. And when I was flagging a Zoom call from my wee friend, Isla, gave me the motivation I needed to keep going.
It was then off the boat, grab some food and rest. Followed by an early start this morning for the Good Morning Britain interview!
It has been brilliant though; the publicity has been great for DEBRA and the EB community. It's hopefully made more people aware of the condition and what Isla must go through every day.
We’re so grateful for the support we’ve received from you guys. The many messages of goodwill and the generous sponsorship are very much appreciated. The funds raised through this challenge will make a difference. Thank you.
We’re not there yet though, the fight to stop the pain of EB goes on. There are any more drugs that we need to test. So, if you can stay with us on this journey, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Graeme
P.S. If you haven’t already done so there is still time to sponsor the challenge. And if you have been inspired to take on your own fundraising challenge, you can set one up right here on Give as you Live.
Congratulations to Graeme and the team!!!
Team DEBRA celebrating their incredible success. Well done guys!
Good morning!
Graeme and the team have made it through the night to France and are now on the return leg.
They smashed their previous record and made it to the shores of France in 10 hours 53 minutes! What an incredible effort! The last time, they did it in 12 hours and 17 minutes, which was rapid!
Graeme has struggled a bit with cramp. The waters were a bit choppy last night too so the whole team felt queasy at times, but they powered on through. Watch the video for an insight of what it’s like swimming the channel at night!
So, this is it, the final push to Dover. We think they’ll make it back earlier than expected, possibly midday. Keep an eye on the website though for their up-to-date location cspf.co.uk/tracking
We’re now over 60% towards the fundraising target. A big thank you on the behalf of Graeme and the team. With your support we can make it 100%. You can sponsor Graeme and the team or set up your own fundraiser here on Give as you Live.
Thanks again for all your amazing support.
I’ll be back in touch when they touch down in Dover.
Hugh – DEBRA UK
Charity
DEBRA
Charity number: 1084958
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