Charity pair swim with sharks

SHARK survivors . . . Beverley Chipchase (left) and Amanda Wilson after swimming with sharks for charity

JUST when they thought it was safe to get into the water, two fund-raisers had a brush with a predator from the deep.

Thankfully, it was no scene from “Jaws” and there were no Great Whites present as Beverley Chipchase, from Rochdale, and Amanda Wilson, from Shaw, went swimming with sharks.

The brave pair jumped in at the deep end at the Blue Planet Aquarium, in Ellesmere Port, to raise funds for Diabetes UK.

They spent over half an hour with 10ft-long sand tiger sharks, lemon sharks, nurse sharks — all three in the top 12 league for shark attacks on humans — wobblegongs, southern stingrays and a number of other creatures of the ocean.

Beverley, a diabetes nurse for NHS Oldham, and Amanda, a school bursar at Whittaker Moss Primary School, Rochdale, trained for several hours in preparation for the experience.

Beverley said: “It had been a dream of mine since childhood to dive with sharks and this just seemed like the perfect opportunity to fulfil this dream and raise money for a charity linked to me professionally and personally.”

Amanda added: “The dive was a truly amazing experience — I’d definitely recommend it.”

Diabetes UK North-West fund-raising manager Stephanie Lawless, said: “This is definitely a case of ‘rather you than me’ but I’m really impressed our fund-raisers did it.

“At the same time as raising vital funds for Diabetes UK, our swimmers have come away with a memory of a lifetime.”

In addition to the 297,000 people diagnosed with diabetes in the North-West, there are 65,000 people who have Type 2 diabetes and don’t know it.

The charity is warning that the condition can go undiagnosed for up to 10 years and 50 per cent of people already have signs of complications by the time they are diagnosed.

If the trend continues, more than four million people could have diabetes in the UK by 2025.

Anyone with two or more risk factors — including a waist measurement of 37in or more for men and 311/2in for women, being aged over 40 or a family history of Type 2 diabetes — is recommended to visit their GP for a test.

Beverley and Amanda have already raised around £400 and are asking for further donations, which can be made via their Just Giving web address — www.justgiving.com/beverleychipchase  

Anyone interested in raising funds by diving with sharks can contact Stephanie on 01925-644565.