Here are the local organisations that have benefited from the Harborough SwiMarathon

Market Harborough Rotary Club has splashed the cash to 18 local organisations after their smash-hit 2020 SwiMarathon proved a huge success.

The town’s hard-working humanitarian organisation raised an impressive £7,500 at the popular annual event staged in March – just days before the Covid-19 lockdown was imposed.

The Rotary club extended the deadline for grant applications to September 1 as some groups were unable to meet up and apply for aid.

Rotarian Carole Baldam, chair of the Rotary SwiMarathon organising committee, said support was also given earlier than that as charities and good causes struggled badly amid the devastating pandemic.

Some 20 per cent of money raised is being kept by the Rotary Club to support local and Rotary Charities throughout the year.

The club’s annual awards evening, one of the highlights of the Rotary year, has sadly had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The groups receiving grants this year are:

Arts Fresco

Bower House

Church of England School, Fairfield Road PTA

Churches Together Holiday at Home

Great Bowden Choral Society

Harborough FM

Harborough in Bloom

Harborough Town Football Club

Harborough HomeStart

Harborough Street Pastors

HDC Children

Market Harborough Girl Guiding

Morsebags

Musical Memory Box

Shopmobility

Spectrum

St Joseph’s School

St Dionysius Hardship Fund

Launched in 2010, the Swimarathon event took place this year on Saturday March 6 and Sunday March 7.

Over the two days, 42 teams took part with between four and six swimmers in each.

Altogether 42 teams, comprising about 186 swimmers, swam a staggering 5008 lengths – almost 78 miles (125km).

“The Rotary Club is extremely grateful to Harborough Leisure Centre for their support without which the event could not be held,” said the Rotary Club.

“We would like to thank local business sponsors whose support covers the expenses of running the event, thus allowing all the money raised by the swimmers to be distributed to local organisations and Rotary charities.”

This year’s SwiMarathon sponsors were:

Brooke House

Denham Jewellers

Dunleavy Hairdressers

Farndon Fields Shop

ET Peirson

Harborough Leisure Centre

Harborough FM

Paul Johnson Design

K Lewingtons

Mayday Financial

Mistrys Pharmacy

J Stamps

Stephen Sanderson Transport

Taylor Wimpey

Walker Forestry

Wingates

Wilkinson Goldsmith

The Rotary Club fears it won’t be able to stage the SwiMarathon in March 2021 because of lockdown restrictions.

But members are hoping to “run something in the early summer”.