A Teesside man is planning to swim across the English Channel to raise funds for charity.

Stockton-on-Tees resident, Roy Stewart, will face strong currents, cold water and jellyfish during his swim this summer.

Mr Stewart, 58, works as a domestic appliance engineer and chose to undergo the feat after watching his friend Verity Green finish the same challenge in August 2021, becoming the first deaf British woman to swim the Channel.

Mr Stewart said: "I found out about Hearing Dogs through Verity as her hearing dog Bow does a wonderful job looking after her."

Most read

Get the latest news, sports, and entertainment delivered straight to your device by subscribing to The Northern Echo here.

Mr Stewart himself has moderate hearing loss and uses hearing aids.

He hopes to raise funds for the charity, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, explaining it costs £40,000 to train and support a partnership between a hearing dog and their deaf recipient.

Reflecting on the inspiration behind his decision, Mr Stewart said: "When I watched Verity swim the challenge, I was reminded of something my mum said when I was 11-years-old.

"She told me that I was built for long-distance swimming."

He has been training for the swim in his local river, the Lake District, and the North Sea for the past two years.

Onboard during his swim will be a support crew, including Verity, which will manage his feeds, medication and communication.

Crowning the swim as his biggest challenge, Mr Stewart said: "The hardest part will be crossing the current towards the end of the swim.

"This is the point at which, when you are already tired, you need to push yourself even harder." Dependant on weather, the window for his crossing began on July 20.

Those interested in supporting Roy can visit his Just Giving page here.