GUILD BLOG

Beggars Group CEO To Swim Across The English Channel For Charity

Fundraising Target of £200,000 for US and UK charities with targeted Covid-19 Relief and Black Lives Matter support

This September, Paul Redding, CEO of the Beggars Group (home to the independent record labels 4AD, Matador, Rough Trade, XL, and Young Turks), will take on the huge challenge of swimming across the English Channel for charity.

The Channel challenge is the ultimate sponsored swim. At a minimum 21 miles between the shores of England and France (the distance can be longer depending on the current), it is a feat few have attempted and even fewer have been able to complete. To put it in perspective, more people have successfully climbed Mount Everest than swam the English Channel. As it is such a test of physical endurance, Redding has set a fundraising target of £200,000 which will be split evenly and donated to two music charities, the PRS Foundation (UK) and Sweet Relief Musicians Fund (US).


The proceeds raised for the PRS Foundation will help them power up Black music creators and Black industry professionals through a large-scale programme they will announce later this year.

The donation to Sweet Relief will go directly to their Covid-19 Fund which provides much-needed financial support to US-based musicians and music industry workers affected by Coronavirus.

Paul Redding says, “The swim between England and France has been something I have wanted to attempt for many years and the timing of it during these extraordinary times presents an opportunity to raise a lot of much-needed money for charities in the UK and US.”

Donations can be made via Crowdfunder by CLICKING HERE

You can read more about PRS Foundation HERE

You can read more about Sweet Relief Musicians Fund HERE

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