Take the plunge and help us out
TAKE the plunge this New Year’s Day with Uswim’s New Year’s Day Swim and make a splash in Salford Quays – all while raising money for St Ann’s Hospice!
Uswim are one of the UK’s original specialist open water swimming operators providing swim venues, events, training and wild swimming adventures in lakes, lochs and oceans.
I formed Uswim in the late 90s and since the early days when just a small group of 12 people attended, we have now grown to attracting up to 300 aqua lovers at each of our four weekly summer swims, less in winter.
The pandemic was particularly busy for us with up to 800 people swimming each session!
Our events add the icing on the cake and include Salford Triathlon, The Greater Manchester Swim, New Year’s Day swim and many more.
We are proud to be partnering with St Ann’s Hospice for our 2024 New Year’s Day Swim, where we hope to see many people raising vital funds for the charity.
On a personal level, my mum Jean Collier was cared for by St Ann’s Hospice at the Heald Green site in 1993.
My mum had lung cancer which developed into brain cancer too, and she was there for a month before she passed away aged 56.
My first English Channel attempt at that time was to raise money for the hospice that looked after her so well.
There was such a great sense of dignity amongst the staff at St Ann’s, it was a lovely place to be that was very accepting.
The atmosphere around the hospice felt so healing, very caring and loving, I really remember how positive our experience with the hospice was.
My mum’s death felt very private, our family was there when she died, and it felt homely and personal, which would’ve been very different in hospital.
St Ann’s Hospice was the best place she could’ve been in at that time.
The New Year’s Day Swim has been going for 13 years, and it’s one of our busiest and most popular events. We often have 300 people taking part, with a best hat competition every year too! Lots of our regular swimmers enjoy the many proven benefits of cold-water swimming such as improving your mental and physical health as well as meeting lots of friendly, like-minded people.
Come along and give it a go! Make sure you don’t miss out on starting your year off with a challenge and sign up to raise money for St Ann’s Hospice now at www.sah.org.uk/events/ new-years-dayswim-2024/.
For more information on getting involved in open water swimming check out www.uswimopenwater. com/