SPONSORED challengers of all abilities raised more than £2,000 last Saturday by swimming the equivalent distance of Warrington to Liverpool.
Warrington Disability Partnership’s (WDP) annual Sponsored Swim saw 30 swimmers take the ‘Going the Extra Mile’ challenge at Orford Jubilee Neighbourhood Hub.
The ‘Splash for Cash’ challengers completed lengths totalling 35,000 metres in just under four hours.
“Altogether our team of disabled people, volunteers, staff and the public swam more than 22 miles,” said WDP Founder Dave Thompson MBE DL who completed 1,100 metres and turned 57 on the day of the swim.
“I couldn’t have wished for a better way to spend my birthday than to be with my friends and family – including my grandchildren – supporting people of all abilities to realise the swimming goals they had individually set for themselves, while also achieving our total fundraising target of £2,000.
“I’d like to thank our generous hosts, Livewire Warrington, who donated refreshments and provided use of the pool at charity rates, and of course, Team WDP and all the volunteers and everyone who sponsored us.”
The day started early for the challengers, as messages of support flooded in via Twitter from across the town including from Warrington Borough Council, Warrington Clinical Commissioning Group and Warrington Swimming and Water Polo Club.
Mayor Ted Finnegan, who has chosen WDP as one of his charities for 2014-15, was poolside to cheer on all the swimmers – including Afghanistan veteran Tom Coleridge, aged 23, of Chapelford, who “smashed it” (completing a total of 64 lengths).
On the JustGiving page, young challenger Josh Morris, aged nine, from Long Lane who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, received touching and personal words of encouragement from his family and friends, including: “Good luck little man and swim like a fish!” He completed 20 lengths having put everything into his swimming, which allows him to move muscles he otherwise can’t out of water.
The Mayoress raised additional funds for the user-led organisation at her Annual Charity Dinner, held on Friday evening at the Town Hall.
Donations continue to be welcomed via the charity’s JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/wdpswim2015
Pictured (top): Dave Thompson MBE DL with Gary and Tom Coleridge.
Pictured (below): Josh Morris and Stacey King, Sports and Recreation Coordinator at Warrington Disability Partnership, who together swam 148 lengths.
