Teams to raise funds for good cases as annual Swimarathon returns for 41st year

Teams will be making a splash to raise funds for good causes this January as the annual Swimarathon returns for its 41st year.

The popular event is organiser the Lions Club of Maidenhead’s ‘biggest fundraiser’ and sees schools, businesses and community groups enter teams to take part in relays of the pool at Braywick Leisure Centre from 7am to 7pm.

In January this year, the club marked 40 years of the Swimarathon and raised £34,500.

Organisers are hoping to be able to raise as much money as possible at the upcoming event on Sunday, January 11 2026.

The money raised through the event, including gift aid, is split 50:50 between each team’s chosen charity and the Lions Club of Maidenhead.

Club president Jo Manisier said organisers are ‘very pleased’ to already have more than 110 of 120 lanes booked for participating teams. 

She added: “They swim every hour. They have a maximum of ten people to swim.

“You can swim with two or you can swim with ten, depending on how many people you’ve got, and the whole premise is that they sign up, they get a JustGiving page, and they get sponsored through the JustGiving page.

“It works in terms of supporting local groups as well as raising funds for us.”

The Maidenhead Swimarathon has been organised by the club for several decades.

Jo added: “It was [started] because they had seen a very similar event from some Lions in Jersey, and they’ve hoped to raise sufficient funds to buy a defibrillator for a local ambulance.

“But actually, in the event they raised £15,000 and were able to purchase three defibrillators.

The team will also be giving out commemorative pens at the upcoming Swimarathon.

A host of organisations will be taking part in the Swimarathon, including returning regulars and some newcomers.

Some of the organisations taking part this year include Maidenhead Marlins, St Peter’s Church, Oldfield Primary School, Furze Platt Infants and Junior schools, Braywick Court School, Cox Green School, Courthouse Junior School, Cookham Dean Primary School, St Piran’s School, and Holyport Primary School.

Wessex Primary School are also swimming, as well as St Mark’s Methodist Church, Cookham Rise Primary School, Maidenhead Sea Cadets, St Edmund Campion Catholic Primary School, and Windsor and Maidenhead’s Starfish Swimming Club.

Newcomers at the upcoming event will include Newlands Girls’ School, Bradbury House and Berkshire Deaf Children’s Society, Jo said.

The RBWM mayor’s charity team will also be taking to the pool and deputy mayor Cllr Sian Martin will be visiting on the day, she added.

Also in attendance to the event will be Maidenhead MP Josh Reynolds.

Jo added: “It’s our biggest fundraiser, so it’s really important to us and I think it’s really important to the local community, because I think it’s a fun way to be able to raise money, without it being too onerous.”

The event has a ‘very big volunteer rota’ of more than 50 people and the Lion’s mascot will also be greeting visitors and participants at the event.

Sharing her hopes for the event, Jo added: “I just think if everybody has a good time and enjoys it, and makes some money for their cause, that’s what’s really good.”

An awards evening will be held in the months following the event, where certificates and cups are presented, including the Presidents Cup, which is awarded to the team that has demonstrated the best ‘spirit of the event’.

There are still lanes available to book. Anyone interested in signing up and entering a team can find more information at: https://www.maidenheadlions.org.uk/