THREE generations of an east Lancashire family will dip their toes in the murky waters of the London docklands to raise money for charity.

Nick Sutcliffe, his dad Trevor and his 12-year-old daughter Emily Gaynor-Smith will take part in the Great Swim, the UK’s biggest exhibition of open water swimming.

Nick, 40, said: “I have lost both my grandads to cancer and, at some point, we have all lost somebody to cancer but the charity was Emily’s choice.

So far the family have raised £835 for Cancer Research UK – 83 per cent of their target of £1,000.

Nick and his 62-year-old dad have swum all five Great Swim events in the past – in Scotland, Ipswich, Salford, London and Windermere.

But Emily, then too young to take part, could only watch.

Nick added: “She has trained long and hard this year.

“She couldn’t swim three lengths without stopping, so we started training three times a week and followed the Great Swim training plan.”

The family concentrated on the breast stroke to build Emily’s confidence and ability.

When she could finally swim a mile without stopping in the swimming pool, she took to open water. Nick said: “We did open water swimming in Windermere.

“She was really excited and nervous before the Great Swim in Windermere but she was only allowed to do half a mile.

“You have to be 16 to swim a mile, so she is looking forward to doing that when she’s older.”

Between them, they hope to take part in all the Great Swim events.

Nick will travel to Loch Lomond this Saturday to swim.

They will enjoy a family weekend away when they travel to London to swim in the Victoria Dock on Saturday, August 31, as part of the Great Swim series, More than 20,000 people signed up to take part in 2012. Participants are required to wear wetsuits but swimmers of all abilities are welcomed.

To donate visit www.just giving.com/phatfish.