Record-breaking Castle Swim

Sunday 13 September 2020

540 swimmers took part in the annual Louvre Castle Swim, raising a total of £3,000 for Guernsey Mind.

Individuals of all swimming abilities swam from the Slaughterhouse slipway to the Horseshoe Pool at La Vallette, the route taking an average of 25 minutes to complete.

All swimmers over the age of 11 were invited to take part, but there was a special prize for the oldest participant. 88-year-old Mike Banfield was awarded the Bill Green Memorial Trophy, a prize that has been presented at the Castle Swim every year since 1996.

Pictured: A group of the swimmers who took part in the popular annual swim. 

The popular event is sponsored by Louvre Group and organised by the Guernsey Swimming Club, whose Director Jo Norman said it had been a record-breaking renewal. 

“We are overwhelmed by the turnout for this year’s Castle Swim, it was the biggest we’ve ever seen," she said. "After the last few months, it was fantastic to see so many of our local community enjoying themselves in Guernsey’s beautiful waters whilst raising money for a great cause.”

Louvre Group Associate Director Matthew Gilligan added: “We are thrilled with the number of people who took part in Saturday’s event and the impressive amount of money raised for Guernsey Mind. Our local charities need our support more than ever so we are very proud to be able to help out this important charity.”