A FORMER Evening Mail journalist is preparing to swim a mile in Windermere in aid of a charity set up in memory of a fellow reporter.

Giles Brown, 35, who lives in Kendal, will swim one mile in Windermere as part of the Great North Swim this Saturday.

Giles is doing it in aid of Jo’s Appeal, which was established in memory of Jo-anne Davies who died last August, aged 38, after having been diagnosed with ovarian cancer five-and-a-half years earlier.

Jo made a positive impact on many people’s lives through the articles she wrote as a features reporter for the Mail promoting health and fitness.

Her legacy lives on through Jo’s Appeal, the charity set up by husband Matt to raise money for three good causes – national women’s cancer charity The Eve Appeal, St Mary’s Hospice and the Furness General Hospital oncology unit.

Several thousand pounds of the £30,000-plus which has already been raised through Jo’s Appeal has come from fitness challenges, and Giles’ efforts are set to bolster this figure.

He said of Jo: “I feel really lucky to have known Jo. She was always a friendly face and always had time to have a chat and ask how you were getting on, no matter how hectic things were.

“As a reporter she had the knack of being highly professional but caring at the same time and I think this naturally made her someone that people respected and wanted to talk to.

“I think her husband Matt is doing a great thing by making sure that Jo’s generous spirit lives on through Jo’s Appeal and I can’t think of three more worthy causes to raise money for. I have set myself the modest target of £500, but if we can break that I’ll be very happy. I just hope the money goes some way towards helping the various organisations with the great work they do.”

Giles has so far been on two training swims and said it had initially been a shock getting into the cold water.

“I jumped in Windermere at the beginning of May and it was tough to be in there, even with a wetsuit on,” he said. “I also got some really bad chafing, so I’ll have to remember to Vaseline-up next time. I am a very slow swimmer, so my aim is just get around the course without drowning. If I can do that I will be happy.”

Matt, who is taking on 10 fitness challenges for Jo’s Appeal – comprising triathlons, 10ks and long distance bike rides – said: “It’s great what Giles is doing. Jo was a really good swimmer, so Giles doing the Great North Swim would really get the thumbs-up from her.”

The Great North Swim is Europe’s biggest open water swimming event with around 10,000 participants taking part over various distances from Friday to Sunday.

l You can sponsor Giles at https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/giles-brown-2