Sea swimmers braving the December chill have raised the sum of £12k for Les Bourgs Hospice by taking part in the 12 Bays of Christmas challenge.
The annual event was inspired by an idea dreamt up by the Marley and Sealey families who are all keen sea swimmers and encourages people to take a dip in 12 festively themed named bays during the month. Hospice staff, family groups, work teams (including HFL and Walkers) friends groups (including the return of the Chemical Seasters & Mermaid Fin Flappers) and even Pepper the dog with her owner Diary of a Sea Swimmer all got involved.
The second youngest participant was Riva-Mae who also raised the second highest amount of sponsorship of £530 which was a fantastic achievement. The team Rick’s Robins were the highest group fundraisers with an amazing £1,305. They were all first time Winter sea swimmers who also enjoyed their first ever moonlit swim hosted by the Guernsey Swim All Seasons Group. They “thoroughly enjoyed” the 12 Bays challenge and had taken it on in memory of their friend Anna Angell who had been cared for by the Hospice, “witnessing first-hand the services that are provided by them at a time when people need it the most”.
Melanie Torode said: “Advisory Services (Guernsey) Limited were delighted to sponsor Les Bourgs 12 Bays of Christmas swimming event in 2024 and we are thrilled with the amount raised this year. Not only are many of our team keen sea swimmers but we also understand just how important the services of Les Bourgs are to the community of Guernsey. Les Bourgs relies solely on public support so events like these are crucial for fund raising and keeping the hospice going. Thank you to everyone who took part and collected sponsorship, we’ve loved seeing all the updates throughout December.”
Liz Stonebridge from the Hospice thanked everyone who had got involved with the challenge or sponsored someone: “We know that Christmas is a busy time of year and brings more challenging sea swimming conditions so we really appreciate the commitment from people. Our grateful thanks also goes to the brilliant team at the Bathing Pools who hosted our launch swim. It was the perfect venue which created such a buzz with a constant flow of people throughout the morning. It is always a bonus to know that people are having fun while raising money for such an important local charity.”
Pictured: The launch swim at the Bathing Pools. Liz Stonebridge (Les Bourgs Hospice – left) and Cathy Lloyd (Advisory Group – right). Credit Chris George photography