At the end of last month, local people from the London Borough of Barnet took part in the annual ‘Swimathon’ event to raise money for the charities Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie.

Seventy-five plucky customers took part at Finchley Lido, Barnet Copthall, and New Barnet leisure centres, opting to swim a variety of distances from 400m to 5k. All participants received a medal for their efforts.

Swimathon started in 1986 and is now the world’s largest, pool-based fundraising event. A number of national charities have benefited from the project over the years.

Leisure centres in Barnet are run by charitable social enterprise GLL under the ‘Better’ brand. Supporting the wellbeing of local communities is an important part of the organisation’s ethos.

Barnet locals took part in the recent Swimathon event

placeholder image — Barnet locals took part in the recent Swimathon event

Lara Bone, GLL’s Community Sports Manager in the region, comments, “It was great to see local people come together to support such a worthy cause. Swimming is also a great way to keep fit and boost your own health.”