FOUR students from a Bournemouth School have swum 21 miles for charity.

The second-year A Level students at Bournemouth School for Boys swum the length of the English Channel on February 7 for hospice charity Julia's House and as part of a week-long charity event at the school. 

The team used BH Live's Stokewood swimming pool to take on the challenge, which included one of Stokewood's lifeguards, Christian Mitchell, 18. 

Christian said: "We started at 6am so it's been tough but once we got in the rhythm, it's got better.

"I think having a lot of people come by in the morning such as friends and teachers helped bring up the mood. "

Done in a relay team, Christian swam with friends Justus Dirks, 18, and Arief Mckenna, 18, and has so far has helped raise £3,575 as part of a wider charity week as BSB. 

The boys are all members of BSB's Newton House, who, along with Turner House, were chosen by the school to fundraise across the week.

Julia's House was specifically chosen by Michele Gosling, Language teacher and Newton House Leader, 59, to support Newton's Charity Captain, Adam Gulliver, 18.

Adam had an eight-year-old cousin who was supported by the hospice before she died in 2015. 

He said: "I had a cousin called Sophie who suffered a brain tumour. She battled for ten months before she passed away. 

"Julia's House were there throughout to give her constant care to my family and this is the first thing I've done to support them."

Both houses have raised money for Julia's House by hosting a bake sale, a football tournament, and a live family fortunes event on 8 February among other fundraisers.

Michele said: "I am so proud of the boys, they have come from little year sevens that wouldn't say boo to a ghost to now organising events like this by themselves. 

"Thank you to everyone who has supported the boys because they have worked so hard and it's such a worthy cause."

For information and to donate, visit the swim team's JustGiving page Bournemouth School's Newton & Turner House Charity Challenge.