I will be swimming The Outdoor Swimming Society's 6km Bantham Swoosh down the River Avon in Devon on the 24th June. Once isn't enough so I'm going to do it twice, once at dawn and once at dusk. I am fundraising for Aveton Gifford Community outdoor pool. In a day when the world is full of so many problems, an outdoor pool where kids can just be kids (& adults can just be kids too) is a valuable resource. It also encourages a healthy lifestyle and a love of swimming that will follow children and adults through their life. I was lucky enough to grow up in New Zealand where almost every school had an outdoor pool and most of my spare time was spent swimming. My love of swimming has taken me to some amazing places and kept me always with a challenge.

There has been a swimming pool at the Aveton Gifford village primary school since 1963, and since then over 600 children have been taught to swim. It’s always been important both for safety and for health and wellbeing, but in these days of public funding cuts and the reduction of sports in school curriculums, it’s become even more so. It would be wonderful if this pool could stay open to provide for and inspire another generation of swimmers.