Swimming to Keep Cornwall’s Flying Paramedics Aloft
A community unites behind a fundraising Swim-a-thon
The UK’s Cornish peninsula presents some tough challenges to delivering medical care. And our friends at Cornwall Pools know that when the going gets tough, the tough go swimming!
Cornwall, situated on England’s southwestern tip, and the nearby Isles of Scilly have a dispersed population, rugged terrain, isolated communities, and an underdeveloped road network. Traditional land ambulances can’t readily navigate to those in need, so in 1987, locals launched the Cornwall Air Ambulance, the country’s first-of-its-kind service. For over 24,000 missions, the Cornwall Air Ambulance has been delivering the fast and effective emergency medical care that wheels on pavement simply cannot.
This vital service doesn’t come cheaply. The Cornwall Air Ambulance has an annual budget of £2.5 million, none of which comes from government funding or the National Lottery. They depend solely on the generosity of their supporters. And that’s why Cornwall Pools hosted Swimathon 2014.
Over two days in July, teams swam for 25 minutes each against the Endless Pools® current. In total, they swam the 26-odd miles of a marathon. The donations raised by each team contributed much-needed funds to the Cornwall Air Ambulance. Excellent job, Cornwall!
To navigate the rugged terrain and service their dispersed populations, the people of Cornwall privately fund the Cornwall Air Ambulance. One such fundraiser, Cornwall Pools' Swimathon 2014, attracted area swimmers to take on their Endless Pools Original Series pool.
Keeping the Cornwall Air Ambulance aloft is serious business, but at Cornwall Pools' Swimathon fundraiser, the Endless Pools Original Series pool seemed just the right environment for family fun!
Besides being compact, versatile, and energy-efficient, this Endless Pools model is also powerful! It ran for two full days, allowing teams of swimmers to complete a marathon distance for the Cornwall Pools Swimathon 2014.
Everybody in the pool! The spacious Endless Pools Original pool, with its comfortable out-of-current side areas, allows for up-close instruction and coaching. At the Cornwall Pools Swimathon 2014, it also contributed to the festive family atmosphere.
Area teams got more than this t-shirt for participating in the Cornwall Pools Swimathon 2014. They got the feeling of accomplishment from knowing that they helped keep the Cornwall Air Ambulance aloft. They also got to hang out in this Endless Pools model for two days!