Swimathon raises over £5,000 for Congleton children’s charity

Friends for Leisure, a Cheshire East charity supporting disabled children and young people, has received a donation of over £5,000.

It has been selected as one of two major charitable recipients of The Rotary Club of Congleton’s annual Swimathon event.

The sponsorship money raised by teams of swimmers is split equally between a charity of their own choice and the two charities selected by Rotary-Congleton’s members. Friends for Leisure was chosen by Rotary members as a beneficiary of this year’s Swimathon, together with Beartown Rickshaw.

Amanda Hunt, General Manager at Friends for Leisure, said:

“Since its inception, The Rotary Club of Congleton’s Swimathon has raised a huge amount of money for some incredibly good causes. We feel extremely grateful to them for selecting Friends for Leisure as one of this year’s beneficiaries. The money they have donated will help us continue to offer our vital services to hundreds of disabled children and young people across the region.”

Friends for Leisure has been supporting disabled children and young people aged between 5 – 21 across Cheshire East for more than 30 years. The charity provides activities during term time and school holidays, aiming to reduce loneliness, improve confidence and independence and offer a place for children to make friends and have fun.

Established in Congleton in 1947, an essential part of the Rotary Club’s ethos is to support young people in the area. Swimathon has been a fixture in the club’s events calendar since 1992 and swimmers participating have raised more than £464,000 for charity.

Amanda continued:

“This donation is a huge boost for us as a charity. As many may already know, we recently had to begin charging for some of our services following local authority funding cuts. Without generous donations like this from Rotary-Congleton, we simply wouldn’t be able to provide the level of support we do for local children and their families. On behalf of Friends for Leisure, I’d like to thank everyone who took part in and sponsored the Swimathon. The funds you raised will make a significant difference to so many young people’s lives.”

To further support its fundraising efforts and mark the charity’s 30^th anniversary, Friends for Leisure will be hosting its first ever Gala dinner later this year.

The black tie event, which takes place on Saturday 17^th October at Congleton Golf Club, includes a drinks reception, three course meal, auction and live entertainment.

To find out more, visit: 

Friends for Leisure

To get in touch, contact: 

info@friendsforleisure.org.uk

About Friends for Leisure  

Friends for Leisure is a Cheshire East charity which supports disabled children and young people aged between 5-21. The charity aims to reduce isolation and loneliness, which can often accompany having a disability, as well as improve children’s confidence, self-esteem and overall wellbeing. Operating across Congleton, Macclesfield, Crewe, Knutsford, Sandbach and Disley with head offices in Congleton.  

Friends for Leisure believes everyone needs a friend. The charity is passionate about offering disabled children and young people the opportunity to have everyday friendships and take part in leisure activities, such as drama and sports sessions as well as regular youth groups and ten pin bowling.    

About Rotary

Rotary was formed in America 121 years ago by a group of businessmen who believed in their corporate social responsibility as employers in their local townships. Rotary has grown from there to become one of the world’s leading humanitarian organisations with 1.4 million members in 36,000 clubs in over 200 countries worldwide.

Its global campaigns encompass education, health and hygiene, famine relief, the provision of clean water, disaster aid and the environment. Nevertheless, the heart of Rotary still lies with individual members volunteering their time and energy to contribute to their local community.