Doncaster swimming club’s wave of support for national children’s charity

Edlington Stingrays ASC, established in 1971, is an amateur swimming team currently situated at Dearne Valley Leisure Centre in Mexborough.

Run entirely by volunteers, the club’s aim is to promote and encourage its swimmers by providing first class coaching and support within a safe, fun, and organised environment - helping swimmers to build confidence, embrace teamwork, and rise to the challenge.

Swimmers of Edlington Stingrays Swimming Club raised the fantastic amount by collectively swimming 192 miles over two training nights. Swimmers from age seven years onwards turned their normal training sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays into a fundraiser swim for the Children’s Air Ambulance – a worthy charity.

The Children’s Air Ambulance is a charity changing the face of paediatric and neonatal care through the high-speed transfer of critically ill babies and children – flying them from one hospital to another for specialist care via the clinically designed helicopters, which provide a flying intensive care unit for babies and children.

The club chose the charity, which is unique in its purpose and relies solely on fundraising to finance its operations, as it enabled young people to be active whilst helping other young people. Each flight undertaken by TCAA costs around £3,500 and the club was proud to have raised not only enough to fund one of those often lifesaving flights, but even more on top.

Blade, the charity’s mascot attended both swim nights to the delight of the younger swimmers and returned for the cheque presentation where the sum of £4,310.34 was presented to the deserving cause.

Head Coach Jordan Dearnley praised his swimmers for swimming mile after mile nonstop, covering the return flight distance between two of the charity’s hubs, one in the city centre and the other at the charity’s Airdesk in Coventry.

“Since Covid, and following the closure of Edlington Pool, we have relocated to Dearne Valley Leisure Centre, and we have made the best of this change by going from strength to strength. Membership numbers have risen, recently we have won our Division of the Barnsley Minors League and have taken a record number of swimmers to this year’s Yorkshire Winter Championships, where they have not only swam personal best times, but have also achieved placings in the top 10 in Yorkshire in their age groups,” said Jordan.

“We are proud to have been able to give something back and we would like to thank not just our great volunteers for organising the event and all our swimmers, but also our swimmers’ families and friends for supporting us in our fundraiser to achieve this impressive amount. This will not be a one off, we have already started thinking about the next fundraiser,” he added.

Commenting on the club’s fantastic achievement, the charity’s Community Fundraising Executive Sharon Evans, said: “On behalf of the charity, I am incredibly grateful for all the hard work that’s gone into raising this amazing amount. The dedication from the swimmers has been sensational, so I’d also like to congratulate them on their accomplishment, as 192 miles in two training nights is something to be proud of.

“Our vital service relies on generous support like this, so this donation will go towards keeping the helicopters flying vital missions and keeping hope alive for our little patients and their families.”

The club is happy to welcome new members into their team, simply contact the Head Coach at [email protected].

To learn more about TCAA, or to support the charity, please visit: www.childrensairambulance.org.uk or call 0300 3045 999.