THE Rotary Club of Royston wants swimmers to take the plunge in aid of charity. Members will be running a fund-raising swimathon at the Royston Leisure Centre in October – but teams are needed now. Rotary member and community services chairman Jim Webb sa

THE Rotary Club of Royston wants swimmers to take the plunge in aid of charity.

Members will be running a fund-raising swimathon at the Royston Leisure Centre in October - but teams are needed now.

Rotary member and community services chairman Jim Webb said: "The object of the swimathon is to bring the wider community together to help raise money to be shared between various local charities."

The club is looking for 36 teams of six swimmers, with each team being given 55 minutes to swim as many lengths as possible.

"No team or individual is being asked to swim an unduly long distance as only one member from each team will be in the pool at any one time," said Mr Webb.

"There are no hard or fast rules as young and elderly people can take part.

"Teams will not be competing against each other and neither will individuals. Everyone will have the same aim - to raise as much money as they can for the charities."

Each member will be asked to provide their own personal sponsorship, as members not teams need to raise sponsorship money.

The money raised will be shared between the East Anglia Air Ambulance, the Garden House Hospice in Letchworth, The House drop-in centre in Royston and other Rotary supported charities.

The club has set a fund-raising target of £5,000 and hopes that between 2,000 and 3,000 lengths of the pool will be completed.

- To register a team and for more details about the event on Saturday, October 14 and Sunday, October 15, call Jim Webb on 01763 838208.