A swim school business based at Sharples and Birtenshaw pools, recently held their first ever charity event to raise money for Derian House Children’s Hospice - and they raised £3,154.
Joanne Garth and Megan Levell, owners of SwimSchool, held a sponsored swim charity event recently at Sharples Leisure Centre.
Over the two days, more than 200 children, aged 3-12 years, swam for a total of nine hours which is a total of 4,033 lengths, which equivalates to 80,660 metres and 53.77 miles.
As part of the charity event, children were given the opportunity to collect their own sponsor’s and swim for as long as they could to raise funds.
The event was sponsored by Sharples School and Northwest School Hire, along with many other well-known names such as Toby Carvery, Iceland Foods, and Tobutt Sports, who also all donated raffle prizes for the event.
To accompany the sponsored swims there was also a raffle which had more than 30 prizes, donated by the SwimSchool or by local businesses in the area to help raise even more money for their chosen charity, Derian House.
Some of the raffle prizes included a £50.00 LOVE2SHOP voucher, £10.00 Decathlon Voucher, a boy and girl swimming bundle, with Zoggs goggles, a swim cap, sinkers, towel and shower gel, a cake share box by Made by Mel, £20.00 Cosmopolitan Restaurant and Cocktail Bar voucher, an Amazon Echo Dot, a wash and blow at YOU Mcr and various hampers.
In total £3,154.00 was raised for Derian House Children's Hospice.
Swim School contributed made £500 donation as entry fees for the children taking part.
The Swim School’s first charity event was a huge success which has inspired them to make their event a yearly occasion, as their way to give back to the local community.
In addition to the sponsored swim, and to prove to the children that owners Joanne and Megan wouldn't ask them to participate in something they wouldn't have done themselves, they both entered the Great North Swim.
This global event was held in Windermere on June 12, the same week as the children’s sponsored swims.
Joanne and Megan swam 1 mile in 35 minutes.
Megan said: "Overall, the event was a great success and so inspiring, raising so much money for such a great cause.
"A huge well done and thank you to everyone involved."
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