A swimming club in Cirencester has received vital funding from the Swimathon Foundation.

Cirencester Swimming Club applied for the grant as part of Swimathon Foundation’s Covid-19 Relief Fund announced last month, to mitigate loss of income whilst pools are closed.

The Gloucestershire-based club is a not-for-profit competitive swimming club run by parent volunteers with a membership of over 120 swimmers, from the age of four.

They run a successful ‘Learn to Swim’ programme and their swimmers compete at county, regional and national level.

With the coronavirus outbreak preventing the use of swimming pools, the club have been running six land training sessions via Zoom each week, and heavily subsidising this programme for their members.

Cirencester Swimming Club chair Ali Norrish said: “Our virtual Crossfit programme has been a crucial way for our swimmers not only to stay fit, but also to be able to keep in contact with their swim family, who they would normally see at least four times a week in their pool environment.

"We are so grateful to Swimathon for their grant to assist us with this programme in these uncertain times.”

This week Swimathon Foundation announced £50,000 worth of grants had been awarded to over one hundred swimming clubs, swimming schools and independent aquatic organisations.

The foundation was overwhelmed by the number of applications received and took the decision to boost its original commitment of £30,000 to £50,000 to cover the grants for small swimming and aquatic organisations who have suffered short-term financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Anthony Kendall OBE, chair of the Swimathon Foundation said: “In these difficult times for all swimming organisations, the Swimathon Foundation has been determined to play its part in supporting those smaller, local groups that are the foundation of swimming participation throughout the UK.

"We have been taken aback by the number of people who need help during these unprecedented times and that is why we have increased our overall donation to £50,000. Swimming is a vital community activity and we are proud to play our part.”

The Swimathon Foundation is a remarkable ‘force for good’ in communities all across the UK. Its main pool-based ‘Swimathon’ has raised over £50 million for charities since it was started some 33 years ago.

‘Swimathon’ is the UK’s biggest pool-based recreational swimming event.

It takes place annually at some 600 pools across the UK and some 750,000 people have taken part since the first event in 1986.

As a result of coronavirus, this year’s event is now scheduled to take place later in the year.

For more information about The Swimathon Foundation, visit www.swimathonfoundation.org.