A team Channel swim in memory of a young woman has smashed its fundraising target.

The group Smiles for Miles raised £6,052.52 by today for a suicide prevention charity, when the original goal was £5,000.

Team member Natalie Jennings said: "We completed it in 17 hours and 17 minutes. We had quite a rough journey but we made it to Calais."

The group of 10 had taken on their relay swim from Shakespeare Beach, Dover, last Wednesday Aug 28.

They did this in memory of fellow team member Megan Forbes, 28, of River, who took her own life on January 25 this year.

Megan's mother, Julie Forbes, saw them off when they left Dover.

The rest of the swimmers included Daniel Hopgood, Anna McClarnon, Alex Harding, Kim Morritt, Tim Strange ,Ella Morritt.

The remaining three were family members, Juliet Unitt and her daughters Florence and Alice Unitt.

All are from Eltham in south London and had been with Ms Forbes in the Eltham Training Swimming Club.

They had met Ms Forbes when she moved to their area for work.

The trainer for this swim was Tanya Harding and funds for it are for Papyrus UK, and UK charity for the prevention of suicide among the young.

The team said in their fundraising page: “This young lady, beautiful to the core, a happy life and soul person, the best you could ever meet with a zest for life and adventure, always displaying a beaming smile which lit up a room had disappeared from us forever.

“We are still struggling to accept that we won’t see her beautiful smiling face any more.

“We have watched the pain and anguish of each other dealing with the loss and try to support each other to not only come to terms that she is now an angel flying high but also the reasons why such a greatly loved individual felt so isolated in her world that she thought that ending her life was the best way forward."

Megan Forbes was a former head girl at Dover Grammar School for girls and an award-winning Channel swimmer.

She became the youngest to achieve this, in 2007, when she was 16.

She was also a Junior Champion of Champions in the British Long Distance Swimming Association event, which is held at Dover Harbour.

To continue to help the appeal, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Team/Smilesformiles1

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