A TEAM of mums and sons who set up Baildon and Shipley Flood Relief Group after the Boxing Day deluge are heading back to water to raise charity cash with a sponsored swim.

Denene Capper and her son Josh, together with her sister Merane Todd and son Curtis will plunge into Lake Windermere next month when they take part in the Great North Swim in aid of Shipley-based charity the Phoenix Foundation which helps local young cancer sufferers.

“After getting soaked day after day during the floods, it will be great to be in the water for fun and such a good cause,” said Denene, who is also deputy district commissioner of the Aire Valley Scouts.

“My sister and I swam competitively for Bradford City when we were young and started doing the Great North Swim six years ago.

“We take part in the two mile swim along with some 10,000 other people over three days and after last year the boys asked if they could join us.

“We were a bit hesitant, because it’s obviously swimming in open water and we’ve been there when people have drowned.

“Also Josh was not a strong swimmer, but we decided it was something they would both gain from doing.

“Josh has been coached at the Nuffield gym’s pool on Otley Road, Baildon and they will both be taking part in the half mile swim with us alongside them.

“The gym and pool were both wrecked during the floods and Josh was gutted he couldn’t get in and train.

“But they’ve done a tremendous job and its all now totally restored,” said Mrs Capper, 46, said.

Titus Salt school student Josh, 15 received a recent Shipley Community Heroes award on behalf of the flood support group and will do the swim as part of his Duke of Edinburgh silver award alongside cousin Curtis, 14 who attends Beckfoot School, Bingley.

“We saw our mums do it and thought it would be a great thing to do and also to raise money for a good cause,” said Josh, an explorer scout with 46 Bradford North.

“I’m very happy with the way his swimming has come on and a couple of weeks ago we took him for his first open water swim, which all went well so we are confident it will be a great day.

“The boys chose the Phoenix Foundation, which was formerly the Little Heroes Cancer Trust, but still does a lot of good work helping children coping with cancer and also supports their families.”

The boys' fundraising page can be found at: http://www.justgiving.com/owner-email/pleasesponsor/Joshua-Curtis