A PLUCKY grandmother from Malvern Link hopes to conquer one of the UK’s most gruelling challenges - all at a local leisure centre.

Avril Phillips, from Oakfield Road, will swim 1,400 lengths of the Splash’s pool to equal the 35km distance across the English Channel.

Mrs Phillips, who works as a part-time nursery nurse, came up with the idea when she was taking part in a much smaller scale sponsored swim in aid of the Malvern-based HANDS charity, which helps impoverished children in Thailand.

She said: “While I was swimming up and down I started thinking ‘I’ve done this, now what else can I do? I love swimming and find it easy enough so I thought ‘I know - the Channel!”

The 54-year-old has been busy getting in shape and roping in family and friends to help her count the lengths. She intends to swim about 200-lengths each day during a morning session at the Splash.

“If I have not done enough in the morning I’ll just have to come back in the evening,” she said.

Anyone wishing to sponsor Mrs Phillips and help the HANDS charity can visit the Splash, in Priory Road, between 7am and 9.30am during the week starting Monday, October 18. Alternatively email her on avril.phillips@virgin.net