Swim England
Dive in and help raise cash for good causes at charity swims
10 March 2019There are numerous dates for the diary with a range of charity swimming events taking place throughout the course of the year.
Millions of pounds are raised every year by swimmers diving into the pool, rivers, lakes or seas for a good cause.
Perhaps the best known event is the Swimathon, which has raised over £50m in total since it began in 1986, but there are many more happening during the year and here are just a few of those.
Swim a memory mile
Charity: Alzheimer’s Society
What: Swim a mile in memory of a loved one and raise money to help support more people affected by dementia.
When: All year round
Find out more: bit.ly/memorymile
Swim 22
Charity: Diabetes UK
What: Swim the width of the English Channel (22 miles) in 12 weeks, in your local pool to support people living with diabetes.
When: Between 22 February and 22 May
Find out more: bit.ly/Diabetesuk
Rotary Club of Buxton 50:50 Charity Swimathon
Charity: Disaster Aid UK & Ireland
What: Teams of up to six swimmers can take part in the swimathon and the amount they raise will be shared equally between a charity of their choice and Disaster Aid UK & Ireland.
When: Saturday 23 March
Find out more: bit.ly/rotaryclubbuxton
Swimathon 2019
Charity: Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie
What: Swimathon is the world’s largest annual fundraising swim and has helped raise more than £50 million for a variety of nominated charities including Macmillan Cancer Support, NSPCC, The British Heart Foundation, The Prince’s Trust, Comic Relief, Marie Curie and Cancer Research UK.
When: Friday 29-Sunday 31 March
Find out more: bit.ly/Swimathon2019
Swim 100 Challenge
Charity: Guide Dogs
What: Swimming in your local pool or open water, you can choose to swim for 100 minutes, 100 miles or 100 lengths and change the lives of people living with sight loss. It’s free to sign up, and the challenge is to raise £100 – enough to give someone with sight loss life-changing freedom and independence for 20 days.
When: Throughout May 2019
Find out more: bit.ly/Swim100
Great North Swim
Charity: Mind – for better mental health
What: The Great North Swim is the largest open water swimming event in the UK. Thousands of swimmers of all abilities will dive into Lake Windermere to swim ½ mile, 1 mile, 2 miles, 5K or 10K.
When: 7-9 June 2019
Find out more: bit.ly/GreatNorthSwim2019
Great East Swim
Charity: Macmillan Cancer Support
What: The Great East Swim offers a selection of distances to suit swimmers of all abilities. Around 2,000 people are expected to take part, while thousands will also turn out to watch and support them.
When: 22 June 2019
Find out more: bit.ly/GreatEastSwim2019
Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim
Charity: British Heart Foundation
What: Thousands of British Heart Foundation supporters will swim the English Channel in this incredible 1.4 mile open water challenge.
When: Sunday 14 July
Find out more: bit.ly/piertopierswim2019
Swim Serpentine
Charity: Children with Cancer UK
What: Organised by London Marathon Events, the one-day open water swimming festival is held in and around the beautiful Serpentine in Hyde Park, the venue for the open water swimming competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Thousands are expected to take part and swim either a half mile, one mile or two miles.
When: 21 September 2019
Find out more: bit.ly/SwimSerpentine2019
Exmoor Open Water Swim
Charity: Pickwell Foundation
What: There are both 2k and 4k routes available to swim but for those with more experience and would like to swim a longer distance, there is an ‘Elite’ 6km course. This combines both the 2km and 4km courses.
When: 29 September 2019
Find out more: bit.ly/ExmoorOpenWater
Or why not help Swim England?
Alternatively, who not set up your own charity challenge and help raise cash for Swim England?
Swim England has held charitable status since 2017 and money raised for the organisation will help it achieve its goal of getting a nation swimming and enjoying the water safely.