Centre staff swim through night to help cancer charity
A 24-HOUR fundraising swim at Uttoxeter Leisure Centre has raised hundreds of pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support.
The challenge, which kicked off following a countdown by Uttoxeter Town Mayor Councillor Chris Sylvester, involved staff, customers and special guests.
Individuals were split into 30-minute slots in a bid to complete as many lengths as possible at the site, run by Everyone Active on behalf of East Staffordshire Borough Council.
The centre’s staff achieved no fewer than 3,001 lengths – smashing the 1,900 target – and swimming the equivalent of England to France and back. The total lengths swum by customers and partners, including BBC Radio Derby’s Charlie Burley, was 1,690. This helped to push the overall distance to 4,691 lengths – equivalent to 73 miles.
The event has raised more than £1,000 so far and it is hoped the total will continue to increase. Everyone Active’s general manager, Nick Fearnett, said: “A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the swim or has donated so far. Let’s see if we can keep the total rising.
“It was a huge challenge, especially for the colleagues who swam through the night, but they did a brilliant job.
“Special mention goes to superman Kieran Kumar-hankin, who joined us on the last leg of the challenge to add 20 lengths to the total, which was a fantastic effort.
Kieran, 11, has a rare neuromuscular condition called Friedreich’s ataxia, which affects balance, coordination and muscle strength. Additionally, Kieran has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which limits his mobility.
You can donate by going to the Justgiving page at https://lnkd.in/eykucg6d