A CHARITY trustee is set to complete his year long swimming marathon around Britain’s coastline to raise money for a disabled dance charity.

Russell Cartwright aimed to swim for up to 30 minutes in different parts of the country each month to raise money for Magpie Dance, which provides dance classes for adults and youngsters with learning disabilities.

His journey started on January 1 last year in Broadstairs and comes to an end on New Year’s Eve with a dip in the sea at Dover.

Mr Cartwright, who is head of communications at Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, hopes to raise more than £3,000 from all of his swims combined.

In February he went to Brighton where he was joined by News Shopper’s Dan Keel, who described the swim as “by far the most physically unpleasant experience of my life.”

Magpie trustee Mr Cartwright, 34, has also braved the freezing water at Bognor Regis, Liverpool Bay, Southend, Camber Sands and Porthcawl in South Wales.

The father-of-two said: “The challenge has been great fun but very cold at times.

“Highlights include swimming in hailstones the size of golf balls in January, being joined by Dan in February, swimming with several of Magpie's dancers in August and with my 61-year-old mum in November.”

Magpie Dance, based at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley High Street, receives no ongoing funding and has to raise £250,000 each year.

Artistic director Avril Hitman said: “Having already smashed his original target of £1,270, we are thrilled that Russell has exceeded his revised target of £2,540, which means that we can fund two places in our award winning youth group.

"We’d like to express our heart felt thanks to Russell for taking on such an intrepid and very original challenge in order to fundraise for Magpie Dance.

"He already does great work for us as a trustee and has gone above and beyond the call of duty with his ‘12 swim 12 seas’ feat."