A North London batmitzvah girl has made a splash for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice by getting her classmates to cumulatively swim the 21-mile length of the English Channel to raise funds.

Jaye Okin, 12, from Hadley Wood, was inspired to support the hospice after sorting clothes and toys donated to its charity shops as a Mitzvah Day activity with her synagogue, Edgware and Hendon Reform.

With the support of her head of year at Queenswood School, the keen swimmer decided to involve fellow pupils in the fundraiser.

They have already brought in more than £7,000, well above Jaye’s original target. Her goal now is to raise £8,219, the cost of running Noah’s Ark for one day. If she does, it will fund the hospice’s operations on her batmitzvah day next May.

“We all had so much fun swimming and I can’t believe how generous everyone has been,” Jaye said.

Her mum Michelle added: “We were bowled over to see the enthusiasm and effort that went into the swim and just what can be achieved when a community gets together.”

Noah’s Ark’s Alison Goodman expressed “the utmost respect for Jaye and her brilliant classmates. She has raised a huge amount of money to help seriously unwell children and their families and we are so grateful.”