Fundraisers raise over £6,000 at Windsor Lions' 19th annual Swimathon

Teams of fundraisers swam through the pain barrier at Windsor Leisure Centre on Sunday for the Lions Club of Windsor’s annual Swimathon.

The event, now in its 19th year, saw teams of up to eight swimmers taking it in turns to swim laps of the pool for 55 minutes. Each lap equated to two lengths.

Swimmers collected sponsorship for their chosen charities, with teams from groups such as the Maidenhead-based SportsAble jumping in the pool to raise money.

The charity’s junior swim section, launched earlier this year, took part for the first time.

Just under £6,500 was raised on the day. But with that total still rising, Lion John Jenkins said he was hopeful more than £9,000 could eventually be collected.

“We love doing it as a club you know because it’s one of those events where what we do we can see directly what it’s doing and it is supporting local good causes,” he said.

“It’s just fantastic really because we all need the money.”