Islanders invited to annual Open Castle Charity Swim

Thursday 21 July 2022

The Guernsey Swimming Club’s annual Open Castle Charity Swim will be taking place on 20 August.

The event, which is sponsored by BWCI, sees swimmers undertake a route from the Slaughterhouse slipway finishing at the Horseshoe Pool at La Vallette.

Proceeds from swimmer registrations (minimum donation of £5) will be split evenly between Les Bourgs Hospice, GROW Limited and the Guernsey Welfare Service. 

Sponsorship Coordinator, Kevin Penney, said the club hoped to raise as much money as possible for the charities. 

“Last year we had between 500 and 600 participants and raised £3,000 for the chosen charities. We are hoping to match or surpass that this year,” he said. 

“Sea swimming appears to be growing in popularity and we would encourage anyone to take part in this event, regardless of experience."

Pictured: Les Bourgs Hospice is one of three charities which will receive donations from the Open Castle Charity Swim. 

The event is open to anyone aged 11 and over. The oldest swimmer to complete the course will be presented with the Bill Green Memorial Trophy which has been presented since 1996. 

Mr Penney said that there will be kayakers in the water to help coordinate swimmers and ensure islanders' safety during the event. 

“It’s a great community event and we hope as many people as possible will come along,” said Mr Penney.

Pictured: The event will start at the Slaughterhouse slipway, where registration will also take place. 

The first batch of 50 public swimmers will set off at 13:15, with subsequent groups following at timed intervals. 

Event registration will be based at the Slaughterhouse slipway. Swimmers can register from 12:45 on the day and are encouraged to download and complete the Guernsey disclaimer form, which is available HERE.

The completed form should be brought along on the day to help ease the registration process for volunteers.