Cold-water swimming has become a hot topic over the last few years and the Isle of Wight, being surrounded by sea, is joining in the boom.
1 group that is making sure the sea is safe and accessible to swimmers of all abilities is Swim the Wight. The group has received a £16,000 grant from the Isle of Wight Foundation, made up of the partners behind Island Roads, towards a support vehicle for group swims that take place on Island beaches.
Every week, more than 60 swimmers benefit mentally and physically from the safe sea-swim sessions run by this social enterprise. Swim the Wight runs Sea Café sessions for people to have a dip and a social cuppa afterwards at Yaverland and other spots around the Island.
Now it is campaigning for a multi-functional, accessible, 50 metre-plus tidal-fed sea pool between two groynes at Sandown. As well as sea swimming, the pool would be used by kayakers and for scuba training.
Welcoming the funding for the van from the Isle of Wight Foundation, Swim the Wight founder Victoria Thornton-Field said:
“I want to thank the foundation for this grant, which will help support our growing venture. I would also like to thank the Isle of Wight Sports Foundation for its financial support, which, again, has been most welcome.”
Rob Gillespie, chairman of the Isle of Wight Foundation which comprises Meridiam, Island Roads Services, Ringway Island Roads and Vinci Concessions, said:
“The mental and physical benefits of sea swimming are now well known, so we were pleased to support Swim the Wight with this grant.”
Claire Beasley, chair of the Isle of Wight Sports Foundation, added:
“When we heard of the good work being done by Swim the Wight to improve mental and physical wellbeing, our trustees were happy to support a grant towards the purchase of the support vehicle.”
I don’t understand why we is have to use the terminology “sea swimming” “wild swimming” or “cold water swimming”. Like many others I was born on the Island and spent most of my childhood summers on the beach, and in the sea. We just called it going for a swim.
Because like most things now, people love attention, the ‘look at me’ crowd.
So if you want to swim and be cold, fine, but now has to be in groups, and those groups love the recognition and comments of ‘oh aren’t you brave’ etc etc.
So add a catchy title to their personal activity adds more fake drama than just quietly doing what they want.
And it clearly works as WE, not Island roads, WE, who all pay our c.tax, now have to INVOLENTARILY fund odd-balls past times.
Add the statement ‘helps mental health’ to anything now is certain to draw out the odd but more importantly draw funds as people jump on the bandwagon as can claim sickness benefit, disability and all very hard to prove, so the new back-ache scam.
Absolutely spot on!!
Oh, mental health problems real enough.
You are proof of that.
Odd how insulting a person is fully allowable if that person disagrees with your wrong point of view, yet if they dare say the truth in the most respectful way against anyone unless white, then the racist or xenophobic or slurs or that they are ‘mental’ are forthcoming.
Shows you are wrong as can’t justify your wrong views respectfully
I don’t insult you despite you being wrong as I quietly assume you are not well informed or have a buggy full in the family as many do now.
Completely agree. As a child we went to the beach and swam. No support team, no grant funded van to accompany us, just a sandwich, usually with added sand for texture! It second nature when growing up on an island and none of us gave it a second thought.
physically I’ll more like after swimming in that.
physically I’ll more like after swimming in that. Well it’s your life.
That is all good, but care in the garden are desperately seeking to raise £5000 to replace their delivery van which is beyond repair , so please if you can check out there go funde page .