🌊 Beyond the Buoys: Swimming the English Channel

Aim

Three sea-loving women from Cornwall are swimming the English Channel in 2026 to raise funds for Reclaim the Sea.

We are Beyond The Buoys - Jemima, Mills, and Flo, a group of amateur yet passionate sea swimmers from Cornwall.

Most days you’ll find us bobbing about within the safety of the buoys at our local beach, but in September 2026 we’re stepping (or swimming!) far beyond them, to take on the extraordinary challenge of swimming the English Channel.

We'll be setting off from Folkestone, England, and aiming to reach Calais, France, swimming a total of 21 miles across one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes!

It’s cold. It’s long. It’s unpredictable. It’s salty.

21 miles of pure, tidal grit. So yes, we’d better get training!

🐚 But why are we doing this?

As women who have personally experienced the healing and empowering effects of the sea, we know how important it is for everyone to feel safe and welcome in the water. 

That’s why we’re raising money for Reclaim the Sea — an incredible community-led movement that runs programmes to provide people with the tools to reclaim the sea as a safe space when it has previously been one of trauma. For people who have been displaced, the sea is often associated with perilous crossings and fear. It presents a hostile border rather than a place of solace and joy.

Reclaim The Sea believes the ocean should be a place of healing and freedom, not harm and terror. They run trauma informed programmes, which include swimming, surfing, and paddle-board lessons, that are designed to break down barriers to access, affirm, and instill self-confidence to foster a sense of belonging.

Working primarily with refugees and asylum seekers, Reclaim started with one programme in Plymouth, but now have sessions running in Devon, Somerset, and Kent, working with local refugee support organisations, alongside surf and swim schools. 

With the help of your generous donations, we hope to be able to support the expansion of these programmes further across the UK, including here in Cornwall!

You can find out more about their work here: https://www.reclaimthesea.org.uk/

💙 How you can help

Swimming the Channel is no small (or dry) task, and we need your help to make it happen. We’re aiming to raise £10,000 to help us cover the logistical and safety costs of this epic swim, as well as allowing us to make a meaningful donation to Reclaim the Sea.

💰 By donating, you are:

🏊🏻 Fueling our swim (literally - your help and support will be the driving force behind our motivation).

🏊🏻 Helping to cover the costs of the brilliant support crew aboard the Masterpiece, who will be guiding us all the way.

🏊🏻 Supporting our mission to reclaim the sea for everyone.

🏊🏻 Joining us on a journey that’s truly no mean feat.

We're committed to full transparency, meaning anything we don’t use for the crossing will go directly to Reclaim to support their vital work. Every pound you give helps bring the sea within reach for people who need it most.

Thank you for being part of our story.

We promise to keep swimming (and not swallow too much seawater along the way).

With salty smiles and wobbly sea legs,

Jemima, Mills & Flo.

Beyond the Buoys 🩵 x

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 30th September 2026 at 8:25pm