Swimming team Swim Bournemouth has received a much needed funding boost thanks to a £2,000 donation from the Churchill Foundation, helping to keep the team afloat after a difficult year so it can continue to support young athletes in their quest to compete at the highest level.
Swim Bournemouth is a competitive swimming team affiliated with Swim England. It has a staff of highly skilled professional coaches, operating out of some of the finest facilities in Dorset including the Littledown Centre in Bournemouth. It offers opportunities for swimmers of all ages and levels of development, from the six-year-old to the aspiring Olympic medalist.
Its members include 14-year-old Paralympic hopeful Zack Sturgess from Bearwood, who has already won four gold medals at a national level in his swimming career to date. The Swim Bournemouth coaching team are helping Zack towards his goal of competing at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and ultimately to achieve his dream of competing at the Paris Paralympics in 2024.
The donation came thanks to the Churchill Foundation’s Small Grants Programme, which enables Colleagues from across the Churchill Group to nominate causes close to their heart for a one-off grant of up to £2,000.
Swim Bournemouth’s Head Coach Matt Heathcock said: “I would like to thank the Churchill Foundation for this very generous donation towards our crowdfunding activity. This donation means that our team of coaches can carry on doing the work we love for our members and will help these young athletes on their continued journey in this great sport. This has been a tough year for us all and these funds will help us on our way to training fit, healthy kids and future champions.”
Churchill Foundation Trustee Suzanne Revell added: “I’m delighted to be able to award this donation to Swim Bournemouth through the Churchill Foundation. We believe strongly in giving something back to the communities we work in, so we’re proud to be supporting the growth and development of Bournemouth’s next generation of champion swimmers.”
To help Swim Bournemouth continue to offer a cost-effective swimming program to local children and adults in the area, the team has set up a Crowdfunding page at crowdfunder.co.uk/swim-bournemouth-covid-support. All money raised will go to the club and might also be match-funded by Sport England if targets are hit.