A TEENAGER has raised enough money for a Greater Leys charity to care for one person with dementia for a year.

Thirteen-year-old Bethany Anderson spent her half term swimming three miles every day, clocking up the equivalent of the English Channel distance.

She swam the 21 miles to raise money for Daybreak, a charity that provides day centres around Oxford and Kidlington for people who are suffering from dementia.

Its centre at The Clockhouse in Long Ground, Greater Leys, creates a safe and stimulating environment for some of the 8,000 people in Oxfordshire with the disease.


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As well as helping the patients, the charity, which also has bases in Kidlington and North Oxford, works to support family members or carers by giving them time for themselves.

Bethany said: “I chose Daybreak because I worked at one of the care homes for the day with my mum over Christmas.

“I knew the club needed the extra support because I saw a sign appealing for help.

“The staff work so hard to make it a great experience for every person who attends.

“It was a wonderful place full of laughter and fun.

“I like doing charity work and find it quite fun knowing I am doing something to help out other people.” The teenager swam 200 lengths of her local pool every day to complete the challenge.

Bethany has been a member of Bracknell and Wokingham Swimming Club since the age of seven, but this was her biggest challenge so far.

She said: “To care for one person for a year costs £1,255, so that is how much I wanted to raise.

“I wanted to make a difference to their lives. The swim was very difficult but I enjoyed it immensely.”

The teenager raised £1,271.

Bethany’s mum Juliet works in Oxford as the assistant director at Health Education Thames Valley.

She said: “Daybreak is our chosen charity this year because the staff council choose it as our local charity to support for 2014/15. Lots of staff go and volunteer to do our bit to help and give something back to the community and Bethany came with me because she was interested.

“She was really taken with the centre and the support they gave.

“She’s a strong swimmer and she thought she could use what she’s good at to raise some money.”

Daybreak charity fundraiser Laura Bristow said of the Reading schoolgirl: “We are really grateful and amazed Bethany had the determination and fitness to take on such a challenge.

“When she told us what she was doing we were just amazed and then when we found out she was only 13 we were like ‘wow’. It is wonderful that she chose to support Daybreak.”

To donate to Bethany’s cause, visit virginmoneygiving.com/julietanderson