If you are looking for the most uplifting CSR Project of 2022, or simply a great challenge to take part in, how about joining the Sea Donkey for his 24-Hour Swim Challenge?
The Challenge is a sponsored swim with a ‘difference’, organised by Vive La Vallette LBG, which seeks to raise funds to permit wheelchair and reduced mobility access into the Ladies Pool and the associated facilities at the Bathing Pools.
The ‘difference’ is that Guernseyman Adrian Sarchet (a.k.a. the Sea Donkey) will be swimming laps of the Ladies Pool for 24 hours with a target distance of 41 miles, the equivalent of swimming from England to France and back! There will be an opportunity for corporate teams, social teams and individuals to swim alongside, and in support of, the Sea Donkey for one-hour slots. The Challenge will be taking place in the Ladies Pool from 15:00 on Saturday 20th August 2022 until 15:00 on Sunday 21st August 2022.
The new facilities will benefit those members of the Guernsey Bailiwick community who are currently prevented from accessing the pool, from parents with small children requiring pram or pushchair access, to swimmers with a disability and those with mobility impediments who simply cannot use the existing steps, to older members of our community who would feel safer and more empowered to walk on a flat surface with the benefit of a handrail. A new lift and improved access to the changing rooms and café will also ensure inclusivity and access for all.
Adrian Sarchet (pictured) said: “Swimming in the sea has, quite literally, transformed my life for the better and I want each member of the Bailiwick Community to have the same opportunity.
“Vive La Vallette’s redevelopment of the Bathing Pools has ‘access for all’ and ‘inclusivity’ at its heart and this fundraising initiative, to install a step free assisted access ramp into the Ladies Pool, is the ultimate expression of those ideals. I have swum all around the globe over the last decade, but this time I’m swimming at home – come and swim with me.”
Helen Bonner-Morgan, Community Lead for Vive La Vallette, said: “The Vive La Vallette team is extremely grateful to Adrian Sarchet for agreeing to support our project with particular emphasis on the fundraising effort for the wheelchair and reduced mobility access to the Ladies pool. The Sea Donkey Challenge will be a one-off fundraising event to support this community asset and we hope that it will capture the imagination of many”.
Both Vive La Vallette and the Sea Donkey are immensely grateful to the organisations who have already donated funds towards the assisted access facilities including the exceptionally generous and significant donations from the Friends of the Vallette LBG, the John Ramplin Charitable Trust and the Guernsey Community Foundation.
Registration for this event is now open and further details can be obtained from the Vive La Vallette website. Spaces are limited, so early entry is recommended here.
It’s free for social teams and individuals to enter but fundraising is expected. There is an entry fee of £1,000 for corporate teams and additional fundraising is encouraged where possible. Teams can consist of up to 6 individuals swimming for one hour either all together or taking it in turns as a relay team.
Even if you’re not taking part in The Sea Donkey 24 Hour Swim Challenge you can still donate on the Sportsgiving page to support this fundraising event.
