A swimming club in Bedford has received vital funding from the Swimathon Foundation, helping to keep them ‘afloat’ during the coronavirus lockdown.
Modernian Swimming Club applied for the grant as part of Swimathon Foundation’s Covid-19 Relief Fund, which helps counter income lost whilst pools are closed.
The not-for-profit competitive community-based club has members as young as eight-years old, helping develop swimmers through the competitive rankings.
They have members competing at County, Regional and National level, as well as 290 members taking swimming lessons
The club also offer free lessons to those with financially challenging situations.
“The funding is huge for us really, we are quite a small club as clubs go,” said Paula Barker from the club.
“All of our income has gone since the end of march and like a lot of clubs we don’t have our own pool so we really need that income from the lessons to subsidise the competitive side of the squad.”
Anthony Kendall OBE, Chair of the Swimathon Foundation, added the Foundation has been “determined to play its part” in supporting clubs that are the “foundation of swimming participation throughout the UK.”
The Swimathon Foundation announced £50,000 worth of grants had been awarded to over one hundred swimming clubs, swimming schools and independent aquatic organisations.
‘Swimathon’ is the UK’s biggest pool-based recreational swimming event, taking place annually at 600 pools across the UK.
750,000 people have taken part since the first event in 1986.
As a result of coronavirus, this year’s event is now scheduled to take place later in the year.
