A £13m charity will get almost one quarter of what it normally makes from fundraising in a year, thanks to football legend Graeme Souness’s English Channel swim.
The 70-year-old, who completed the gruelling 21-mile swim in just over 12 hours, has raised more than £1.1m so far for DEBRA UK.
In the year ending 31 December 2021, the charity raised £4.61m in donations and legacies.
DEBRA, which advocates for those affected by the rare skin disease epidermolysis bullosa (EB), will spend the money on the development of effective medication to stop the pain it produces.
This could include funding drug-repurposing, which involves testing drugs which have already successfully treated other inflammatory skin conditions, like psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
A DEBRA spokesperson added: “We were hopeful Graeme and the team’s challenge would inspire people to donate to raise vital awareness of the condition, but we are so grateful of the incredible support we have received.”
It was part of the organisation’s wider ‘A Life Free of Pain’ appeal, which aims to raise £5 million by the end of 2023.
Souness, who played for Liverpool, Rangers and Scotland in an illustrious career, set off at 9pm on Saturday, and was finished by lunchtime the next day, swimming as part of a six-person relay team in 12 hours and 17 minutes.
As a vice-president of DEBRA, he was inspired to do the challenge after meeting 14-year-old Isla Grist who suffers from EB, which is also known as butterfly skin.
Due to her condition, she has to be wrapped head-to-toe in bandages, which are changed three times a week in a painful procedure.
Previously, Souness explained his motivation for taking on the challenge, saying: “From the time I have spent with Isla and her family, I have seen first-hand the extreme pain this devastating condition causes and the daily challenges it creates.
“I wanted to do something that could make a difference to Isla’s life and to the lives of so many others living with EB.”