Popular event to return to Bournemouth this summer

One of Europe’s biggest charity swimming events is set to return after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim will take place over the weekend of the 3rd and 4th of July.

The event, which is marking its 30th anniversary this year, will see a total of 4,000 people swim the 1.4 miles from Bournemouth to Boscombe Pier.

Lee Sumner, Events Manager at the BHF, said: “We’re delighted to be able to bring the pier to pier swim back this year. This has always been an incredibly popular event with a fantastic family atmosphere, but we think this year it’s going to feel very special.

“Over the last 12 months we’ve all had to do our bit, stay at home, and miss out on the big public events that we all used to enjoy. Lots of people have been taking on virtual fundraising challenges, but you can’t beat that that live event atmosphere and there’s a real positive buzz around the swim this year.”

“For the BHF it’s really important to be able to hold this event again. Coronavirus has had a devastating impact on our fundraising which has forced us to cut our investment in heart research in half. The reality is we’ve never needed the public’s support more and this event will provide a vital boost to our funds.”

Heart and circulatory diseases cause more than 160,000 deaths in the UK each year. There are around twice as many people living with heart and circulatory diseases in the UK than with cancer and Alzheimer’s disease combined. The BHF is the largest independent funder of heart research in the UK.

Since it was first held in 1992, more than 33,000 people have taken part in the swim helping to raise more than £3.6m for research into heart disease. Due to its increasing popularity, the swim became a two-day event in 2019. Most participants take around 60 minutes to complete their swim.

The pier to pier swim will take place between 2 - 5pm on Saturday and 10am – 1pm on Sunday. To support social distancing at the event, swimmers will be able to choose a start time when they sign-up.

People registering for the event will need to pay a £30 entrance fee and pledge to raise at least £250. Entrants must be at least 14 years of age, and there is a reduced entrance fee of £10 for anyone aged 14 – 17.

For more information, or to sign-up to the swim, click here.