RNLI Swim Team No.1 on Just Giving
WITH A current total of over £18,000 a team of eight swimmers have become the number one fundraisers for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution since the establishment of charity donation website Just Giving in 2003.
The ‘Big Minch’ Swim Team departed the fishing port of Ullapool on the north-west coast of Scotland at 12noon on Monday, June 25thand arrived in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis 34 hours later at 10pm on Tuesday, June 26th, having completed a 50mile open water swim.
The feat has secured the Team’s place in history as being the first group of people to ever swim The Big Minch – one of the widest, and wildest, channels of water between two parts of the British coast.
And their efforts have been recorded in Scotland’s history books following a motion tabled by Highlands and Islands Labour MSPs Rhoda Grant and David Stewart, supported by 22 MSPs and passed in the nation’s Parliament on June 28th.
Working in relay formation, the swimmers were accompanied by three kayakers and support boat MV Cuma, donated to the challenge by Murdani Macdonald of Lewis company Island Cruising.
The swimmers averaged a speed of 1.5knots and during the crossing were escorted by seals, dolphins and even a pod of six or seven Orca whales.
Member of the swimming team, Saul Hindson, commented: “To say I am immensely proud of each and everyone for what they have achieved over those 34hours would be a massive understatement.
“Completing the challenge didn’t come easy – there were hours of training every week and sacrificing many normal activities to make sure we were ready for the challenge – but what an adventure it was: 45 minute swims with what seemed like very little time between each leg, no sleep, eating when you could, massive whales, pods of Orca, dolphins swimming alongside swimmers and high spirits from everyone involved.”
He added: “The welcome home we received was unbelievable with around 200 people at Stornoway harbour to see us into land. And the generosity of people has been overwhelming as we have watched the Just Giving total steadily increase since the days and weeks following the swim.
“To become the No.1 fundraisers for the RNLI and have a motion passed in Parliament marking what we have done is incredible and I’d like to say a huge thank you from the entire team to everyone who has helped out and donated.”
The Big Minch Swim Team are: Swimmers – Saul Hindson, Colin Macleod, Rodney Jamieson, Chris Baker, Laura Maynard, Scott Connor, Eilidh Whiteford, and Mark Doug Maciver, (swimmer Tariq Hussain and reserve Douglas Forbes were unable to make the Swim); and Kayakers – Mark Stokes, PJ Maclachlan and Alistair Glover.
Donations to The Big Minch Swim challenge can be made safely and securely through a Just Giving site at www.justgiving.com/thebigminchswim
RNLI media contacts
Eilidh Whiteford, Stornoway RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer, 07743897823.
Richard Smith, RNLI Public Relations Manager for Scotland, 01738 642956, 07786 668903.
Henry Weaver, RNLI Press Officer for Scotland, 01738 642946, 07771943026, henry_weaver@rnli.org.uk
RNLI online
For more information on the RNLI please visit www.rnli.org.uk. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI Press Centre www.rnli.org.uk/press
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 230 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and has more than 100 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 137,000 lives. The RNLI is a charity registered in England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.
For further information please contact:
Peter Kane: 44 (0)7742 308213; peter@lucidmessages.com
www.lucidmessages.com