A year and a half later…

A couple weeks ago over Easter holiday I had an interview for Aljazeera TV.  It has been a year and a half since I have visited Syria.  Any child out there could actually do the same thing as me and help the Syrians and that is what they were trying to show with the video.  When … Continue reading →

Remember the Syrian People

It has been more than a year since I swam the channel to try to help the Syrian people.  The sad part is that they still need help even more than they did before.  Syria has been on the news a lot lately, but they are not talking about the people.  My dad and I … Continue reading →

Thanks again Gasp!

I was just looking online and noticed that Gasp put up some more pictures from the 21 Mile Milkshake fundraiser.  They were really nice to do all that to help.  Here is the link: http://www.gaspfour.com/portfolio/joseph-swims-charity-promo/  

Charity Week at my school raised £2400!!!

I blogged before about how my school had chosen Hand in Hand for Syria as one of three charities to raise money for during our Holme Grange School charity week.  I was just on the school website and the total amount we raised was £2400!  We had loads of fun doing a fancy-dress sponsored walk, … Continue reading →

Our Visit to Syria – Guest Blogger: My Mom

It is difficult to put into words our experience in Syria.  I’ve stopped and started this post repeatedly since we’ve been home.  Not only is it almost impossible to describe, but by doing so it feels as if we’re writing the final chapter in a book I don’t want to finish.  At the end of … Continue reading →

ITV London Tonight story

I have not been very good about updating my blog since I got back from Syria.  It has been hard to come back home and see normal things.  When I got back I did an interview with ITV London Tonight that tells the story.  Here it is.

Virgin Active UK story

The club where I have done most of my swimming (The Royal Berkshire Health and Racquets Club) did a story on me in their newsletter.  Everyone there has been really nice to me about taking pictures in the swimming pool and letting me have my Final Five party in the adults only area of the café … Continue reading →

Wokingham Times story on finishing the Channel

The Wokingham Times was very nice to come and take pictures at my final five party.  They wrote a story about my trip to Turkey and Syria.  The reporter was really nice.  Here’s the story: http://www.getwokingham.co.uk/news/s/2123097_sevenyearold_off_to_turkey_to_meet_refugees_he_raised_money_for

In the Camps

Today we picked up loads of Eid sweets and a van full of clothes to take to one of the camps on the Turkish side of the border.  It was a short drive to get there.  When we got there everyone was really nice to me and they let me go straight in and talk … Continue reading →

Sky News Feature

I am in my hotel room in Antakya and I just saw a tweet from Aoife saying that the Sky News story was online.  Our Wi-Fi is pretty slow here, so I could only watch part of the video but it looks pretty cool.  They made my packing look really fast!

On my way to visit the refugee camps.

Hand in Hand for Syria have found a way for me to get to go meet the children in the camps on the Turkey/Syria border and celebrate Eid with them. I flew from London to Paris and then to Istanbul today. Getting closer!

Sky News visit

Today I got to go to Osterley to visit Sky News.  We had to get up really early and skip the first half of school, so I missed Maths.  We got there and the security man gave us badges to wear that worked to get us past the gates and into the building.  We met … Continue reading →

105 days + 1879 laps + you = £2,598 for Syria

Here’s my thank you video from yesterday’s Final Five event.

FINISHED!!! The hard part is over!

Today I swam the final five laps of my English Channel crossing.  I am so happy to be done.  It was really hard, but also loads of fun.  All of my friends came along to the club to cheer me on.  Even the Mayor of Bracknell came as well as some friends from Hand in … Continue reading →

Joseph Swims… the Final Five!

I am now 5 laps away from reaching France!  The club where I swim (The Royal Berkshire Health & Racquets club) has been very nice.  They are going to let me have a party there with my friends to celebrate completing my English Channel swim for Hand in Hand for Syria.  They are even letting … Continue reading →

Second Press Release

Here is the second press release that Hand in Hand for Syria has written for me.  Hopefully some people come to my final five laps event and put it in the news so that more people can know about Syrian refugees and all the help they need.  The link to it is here: http://handinhandforsyria.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&amp%3Bview=article&amp%3Bid=181%3Ajoseph-nearly-finishes-his-swim&amp%3Bcatid=920

Milkshake success.

On Saturday we launched the 21 Mile Milkshake at Oslar Coffee in Wokingham with help from my friends from school and from Gasp.  We got to the Gasp office early and started blowing up 200 balloons.  Gasp had shirts printed up with a drawing of me as a superhero on them!  Once we had the … Continue reading →

My School is Cool! Hand in Hand for Syria made Charity Week!

My school is supporting me by putting posters up all around and putting my story on their website.  I feel a little bit famous at school now, but everyone is really nice.  They have even chosen Hand in Hand for Syria as one of the featured charities for our Charity Week at school!  All of … Continue reading →

The 21 Mile Milkshake

My new friends at Gasp have introduced me to Oslar Coffee in Wokingham and they have helped me create my own drink that I named the 21 Mile Milkshake.  They are going to donate 30% of the price of the milkshake to Hand in Hand for Syria to help Syrian people.   I am going … Continue reading →

Meeting Bear Grylls

Yesterday, Bear Grylls came to visit my school.  I asked my head teacher if I could talk to him about my swimming and Syrian refugees and she said yes.  I gave him a wristband and told him that I was swimming the English Channel to raise money for Hand in Hand for Syria.  I also … Continue reading →

Meeting with … Gasp!

Today I went to visit Gasp! at their office in Wokingham.  They found me because they built my school’s website and saw my story on it.  They are very creative and had loads of cool ideas for how to make people know more about raising money for Syrian refugees.  Giles, Sophie, and Jo were very nice to … Continue reading →

My Speech… well, part of it.

Here is the video of my speech at the Royal College of Surgeons in London.  My parents had a hard time with their new camera, so its only just the last bit.  It was hard, but I actually had a really good time.  At the end of the video you can see my friend Zain … Continue reading →

I am nearly finished! Thank you for all the donations!

Here is a video I made to say thank you for all the donations.  I have 94 laps left to go.  Please help me get to the finish!

Time to raise my goal again!

Thank you so much for all of your donations!  I just reached my second goal of £2000 today and I still have 1.7miles left to get to France.  I have decided to raise my goal again to £2500 so that I can help more Syrian refugees.

An Evening in Syria

Louise Tickle invited me to speak at An Evening in Syria at The Royal College of Surgeons in London.  I was a bit nervous because I was giving my speech after Shadow Secretary of State for Health Andy Burnham MP and Dr Omar Abdul Gabbar and before BBC Newsnight’s Sue Lloyd Roberts and I think they … Continue reading →

A letter from Boris

One of the doctors that has helped me with making sure everyone knows about my swimming wrote Boris Johnson an email and asked him if I could swim in the pool they used for the London Olympics.  The pool is closed right now, but Boris was very nice to send a letter back.  He even wished me … Continue reading →

On the News!

Today they played parts of my interview on the news!  They didn’t play everything that I said, and they pronounced my name funny, but its still very good.  I also think my voice sounds different than it sounds in my head.  I hope it helps more people know about Syria. My dad said it was on in … Continue reading →

ITV Meridian Interview… Helping Syrian Refugees on TV!

Today I was interviewed by ITV Meridian.  A cameraman called Steve came to me and filmed me swimming and chatty-chatting.  I was feeling a little bit freaked out.   It was pretty much fine (after the interview).  It is going to be on TV tomorrow night or the next night. Laughapalooza time – Q: What type … Continue reading →

I’ve been Pinned!

I found out that I have been pinned on Pinterest.  My mom was very excited.  She says that lots of people will see it there.  Hopefully they will donate!

JustGiving Sporting Heroes Feature

JustGiving put me on their Sporting Heroes page alongside Jensen Button and Rebecca Adlington.  I am not cycling across Zambia or running a triathlon, but I think it’s cool that it can help the Syrian refugees.  The article is here: http://www.justgiving.com/en/discover

JosephSwims — SUPERFAST

Dad usually helps with my videos but this time he asked Mom to do it.  Think he will ask her again?

JosephSwims in Reykjavik

Today we flew from Seattle to Reykjavik, Iceland on our way home.  We went to Blue Lagoon in Reykjavik so that I could swim in the water heated by the volcano.  The water was really warm and the steam smelled like rotten-eggs!  I got in 40 laps, so I am up to 12 miles now!

HALF WAY to France!!!

I just made it to the half way point in my English Channel crossing!!!  I did 50 laps today so I could get there.  I was really tired, but I did have energy to celebrate.  Please keep donating to help Syrian refugees.

JosephSwims in America

I am visiting my family in America and we just finished a big family reunion.  It was loads of fun and they had a pool there that they let me swim laps in.  My family also donated lots of money and made me feel very good about what I was doing.

Time 106.6 FM Interview

The other day I got to do a radio interview over the phone with Nick Johnson from the radio (Time 106.6 FM in the UK).  I was really nervous and he asked me some questions about what I was doing and why I wanted to help Syrian people.  He played part of the interview in … Continue reading →

JosephSwims on world tour

I am going to visit my family in Seattle today, so I will be swimming laps in loads of different pools for the next two weeks. I am excited to tell everyone about Syria and that the children need our help.

Bracknell Forest Standard Article

Today the Crowthorne and Sandhurst Times and the Bracknell Forest Standard published my story in the paper and GetBracknell.com put it on their website.  Hopefully lots of people can hear about the refugees from Syria and help them out.

I am 1/3 of the way to France and I have wristbands to celebrate!

I have now passed 7 miles in my English Channel swim and I am over 1/3 of the way to France.  It has been really hard to swim so much every day, but I am happy that my wristbands came in the post to celebrate.   I have already sold 11 of them to my friends.

JosephSwims Wokingham Times Article

Today the Wokingham Times did a story on my swim.  We woke up early and went to the newsstand to make sure we could get a copy.  Mom was so proud she bought 4!  I will be in the Bracknell Forest Standard tomorrow. Thank you all so much for supporting Hand in Hand for Syria.

6 miles down and 15 to go!

I just passed 6 miles in my swim across the English Channel today!  I have been setting small goals along the way and it makes it easier to work hard.  I have also started to swim some laps in the 25 meter lap pool at the club instead of the 18 meter pool because the … Continue reading →

I have reached 4 miles!

I swam a lot this weekend and today I passed 4 miles.  I still have 17 miles left, but I think I can do it.  The fighting in Syria is getting worse.  More and more people are having to run away.  I read a news report that said that 200,000 people had to leave Aleppo … Continue reading →

Reading Post Photo Shoot

The Reading Post came to the club today after my swim and took pictures of me for a story.  The story should be in the newspaper on Wednesday.  I think they will put it on their website too.  Hopefully more people will see and help raise money for Syrian refugees.  Please donate.  Thank you for … Continue reading →

My first Press Release

Yesterday Hand in Hand for Syria helped me publish my first press release.  I didn’t actually know what a press release really was until I asked.  Here’s the link: http://handinhandforsyria.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=164:joseph-swims-for-syrian-refugees&catid=920

News Update Video

There is a lot going on in Syria right now.  Joseph made this video to provide an update.

Thank you for your support so far! 1.8 miles down 19.2 to go.

Please Donate

Please watch my video about raising money to help Syrian people.  

4 days, 114 lengths, 2052 meters… a great start!

I have been swimming at the gym this week.  The only day I missed was Thursday.  I have been going more lengths every day.  When I was changing in the locker room, Syria was on the news and Dad showed me where the refugees were on the map.  They are fighting a lot in the war … Continue reading →

Why am I doing this?

Dad and I were watching Horrible Histories – Gory Games on CBBC when Newsround came on.  They showed some children with their faces blurred out and I asked my Dad what was wrong with them.  He said that they were refugees that had run away from the war in Syria and their faces had to … Continue reading →