Five women “The Sussex Seals’ swim the English Channel in relay, carried by tides and driven by resolve.
A film-poem in development about navigating the crossings in life — open to the forces that move us, attentive to the unseen paths that shape who we become.
CONTACT to be first on the list for tickets to our upcoming fundraiser events:
A three-course meal, film clips from the swim and readings from the Seals swim diary in collaboration with Homeground Kitchen.
A cocktail party hosted by Berry White with DJs and prizes.
Five Hastings’ swimmers — The Sussex Seals — are inviting the community to support the creation of a new documentary capturing their extraordinary English Channel relay crossing.
The film, 'Between Shores', follows Catherine Bray, Hannah Collinson, Polly Gifford, Natasha Holt and Berry White, who swam from Dover to France on 11 August 2025, completing the 21-mile crossing in 18 hours and 17 minutes. Taking it in hour-long turns, and swimming without wetsuits, the women battled darkness, cold, tides and jellyfish to raise over £22,000 for The Royal Marsden cancer hospital.
Each woman carried her own personal reason for taking on the Channel — from honouring lost loved ones to confronting inner challenges — and together they pushed through seasickness, exhaustion and fear, supported by laughter, teamwork and determination.
Rebecca filmed the entire crossing from the support boat.
'Between Shores' is a love letter to courage, friendship and the wild, mysterious sea.
The team is now raising funds for post-production, with all future screening proceeds pledged to The Royal Marsden. A project raising funds for The Royal Marsden: https://www.justgiving.com/page/sussex-seals
CREDITS
Director Rebecca E Marshall
Swimmers Hannah Collinson, Catherine Bray, Polly Gifford, Berry White, Natasha Holt
