STAFF and members at a North Swindon leisure club will attempt to swim the Channel to raise money for breast cancer causes.

David Lloyd Fitness Centre swimming co-ordinator Sabrina Crocker and colleagues will swim the 21-mile length of the Channel in one day, which equates to 1,344 lengths of the 25m pool.

The money raised from the challenge will be split between Wiltshire Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Swindon Phoenix Rotary Club, which will donate its share of the cash to Great Western Hospital Breast Unit project.

Sabrina, 27, who has worked at the fitness centre since it opened five years ago, has completed the challenge once before in 2008, and was cheered on by fundraiser Shirley Garman.

Shirley, of Gorse Hill, beat breast cancer twice, but was later told she had just days to live after doctors discovered the cancer had spread to her brain in 2009.

She helped raise nearly £700,000 before she died, but had hoped to reach £1m.

Sabrina said: “Shirley was alive when we did our last fundraiser, and I wanted to reinvigorate that and try and help towards reaching the £1m target once again.

“We’ve had two members who have died of breast cancer in the past year, and both of them had children – one had three boys and one had a little girl – and they all came to the centre, so I wanted to do something for them and this seemed quite apt.”

Each participant will swim 450 lengths.

“There has been a bit of competition about who’s done the most training, and we are all doing a bit every day.

“But nowhere near 450 lengths so I am very nervous, we all are, ” said Sabrina.

She hopes the group will raise about £1,000.

To sponsor the team contact Sabrina at sport.swindon@davidlloyd.co.uk or contact President Paul Parfrey of the Rotary Club on 07929725708.