Swim a mile with Mencap

Learning disability charity Mencap is gearing up for its biggest swimming fundraising event of the year, the Mencap Mile.

The fundraising challenge, taking place on 24 July from 3pm, is a mile long open-water swim at the world-class Olympic and Paralympic venue, Dorney Lake, in Windsor. Swimmers of all abilities are invited to take part and put themselves to the test of completing the mile within one hour.

DJ and Mencap ambassador Jo Whiley is supporting the event: "It’s great to see people taking to the water to support Mencap. I used to swim competitively when I was younger and still love it. I can think of no better way to raise much needed funds for Mencap than challenging yourself and signing up for the Mencap Mile."

Participants are recommended to raise a minimum of £50 in sponsorship but this isn’t compulsory. All sponsorship funds raised by the participants will go straight to Mencap, so the charity can help more people with a learning disability, their families and carers. It will also support Mencap’s vital campaigns such as the recent disability hate crime campaign, Stand by me.

David Candler, President of the Swimming Teachers Association, says:

“The Mencap Mile is a fantastic event to encourage more people to get back into swimming and where better to hold it than the Olympic and Paralympic venue at Dorney Lake? A mile might not seem like a long swim but when it’s in open-water it means overcoming challenges such as swimming in unheated water.”

There are still places left for the Mencap Mile so if you would like to take part please visit www.mencap.org.uk/mencapmile.