Software developer Jonathan Samuel took the plunge on Sunday when he completed a swimming challenge to help street children in India.
Father-of-three Mr Samuel, who lives in north London, swum 50 lengths of his local pool to mark his 50th birthday and raise £3,000 for Calcutta Hope, a United Kingdom-based charity that supports a home for 50 street children in Calcutta. So far, he has raised more than £700.
He tells People: “A friend of mine gave a talk at my synagogue about the home. I was moved and felt I wanted to do something to help the children who desperately need it.” He says the money raised is “a drop in the ocean against the backdrop of global poverty; yet it will be a breath of life to the children who will benefit.”