Jennifer makes a splash for guides

Jennifer Marsland

A DEDICATED Oldham guide supporter swam the width of the English Channel — without leaving Uppermill — to raise money for a scholarship.

Jennifer Marsland’s early morning dedication raised £700 to help send a young guider to India to help with a reading project.

Jennifer (68), a member of the Trefoil Guild which is for ex-guiders and officers, will also visit India in October to see one of four world centres run by the guiding movement.

The former teacher will travel to Sangam in Puna where the guide centre helps local women and girls with a reading project called Sow a Seed.

Jennifer, who has been a ranger guider and district and assistant divisional commissioner for Oldham guides, raised half of the £1,400 scholarship by early morning visits to Uppermill Pool.

She explained: “I visited Uppermill pool 22 times and swam 64 lengths, equivalent to a mile, each time, so I swam the Channel.

“Guiding is close to my heart. I’ve been a Trefoil Guild member since at least 1991.”

The visits to the four guiding centres — the others are in Mexico, Switzerland and London — have been organised as part of the centenary of guiding which begins on September 5.

Jennifer will spend 10 days in Sangam, then travel to Delhi and Rajasthan.