Wilson’s boys, siblings and families have been taking part in various Rotary led Swimathons since 2017, (click here to see pictures), and will be starting their own this year. Join our FUN event to make a splash and fundraise some valuable cash for your own School, Charity or Organisation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): The FAQs below also detail the Terms & Conditions of PFA’s Swimathon 2024.
What is a Swimathon?
A Swimathon involves a Team swimming continuously for 50 minutes, with only one member of the Team being in the water at a time. A Swimathon is not a marathon; it is a FUN event!
Who is organising this Swimathon?
Wilson’s PFA (Registered Charity Number 117232) will be organising the annual Swimathon. This is one of our annual fundraising events that puts the ‘FUN in Fundraising‘ and brings people from our surrounding Wilson’s and non-Wilson’s communities together.
Who can take part?
Teams can include confident swimmers (i.e. confident in deep water and can swim at least 25 metres without any aid) between the ages of 8 to 90+.
How can my organisation join?
Fill in our Entry Form by clicking here, and email it back to us on the email address provided on the form.
Is there a fee to join?
Organisations taking part do not have to pay anything apart from sending their completed Entry Forms back to us. Individual swimmers participating in our Swimathon will be charged £3 each, irrespective of age or ability.
What about Risk Assessment and Safeguarding at this event?
Wilson’s PFA has been organising numerous fundraising events since 2012. A thorough Risk Assessment is done for each event by our Team. A copy of our Swimathon Risk Assessment is available on request to participating Teams Captains. All key Volunteers are DBS checked regularly and hold an Enhanced for Children and Adults DBS certificate.
Does Wilson’s PFA have adequate insurance to cover incidents and accidents at this event?
Yes, Wilson’s PFA has adequate Public Liability Insurance for the Swimathon 2024 and all other fundraising events. We are covered further by Epsom College’s insurance, which is our venue for this event.
Are there any rules of the Swimathon?
* All swimmers taking part in the Swimathon must be able and confident swimmers.
* Teams and Individuals do not swim against each other.
* The aim is to swim as many lengths (25 metres) as possible for 50 minutes.
* There are no hard and fast rules about how a Team organises itself.
* Most swim a length in turn; others might want to split the time between them.
* A circulating trophy is awarded (for recognition) for the Team completing the most lengths.
* Each Team member receives a certificate and a medal to commemorate their participation.
* Replacement certificates will incur an additional cost of £3.
* The aim is to have fun and raise money for your own school, charity or chosen organisation.
What is the minimum and maximum Team size?
Each Team MUST have at least 8 members, but no more than 12.
Where does the Swimathon take place?
This year’s Swimathon will take place at Epsom College, College Road, Epsom, Surrey, KT17 4QJ
How often does the Swimathon take place?
Wilson’s PFA’s Swimathon takes place annually, one day in a year – usually on a Saturday or a Sunday, depending on pool availability.
When is the 2024 Swimathon taking place?
The 2024 Swimathon is taking place on Saturday, 28th September 2024, from 1.00 pm – 5.00 pm.
How can individual swimmers register for their chosen Team?
Individual swimmers can click on the Ticket Tailor link here, followed by their chosen Organisation name (e.g. Wilson’s, Nonsuch, etc.) to book a space. Spaces for each Organisation will be limited and will be offered on a ‘first-paid-first-served’ basis.
Is there a deadline for booking a space?
Given the popularity of this event in previous years, we expect lanes to fill up very quickly. If you are interested, please book a space asap. It only costs £3 per swimmer to book a space. Having entries on time also helps us plan this event both efficiently and effectively.
Can I encourage new Teams to join Wilson’s PFA’s Swimathon?
Of course you can. Previous Teams are Swimathon ambassadors for Wilson’s PFA. Please spread the word and encourage new Teams to join one of our best community events.
I don’t want to take part in the Swimathon; can I still support Wilson’s PFA by making a donation?
Of course you can! To donate, click here.
Can I enter as an Individual?
No, you cannot enter as an Individual. You have to form a Team or find a Team that is already taking part.
How do I enter a Team?
If you know of a group of people who enjoy swimming, you can form your own Team and enter them as a group.
How many Teams can each organisation enter?
To encourage wider community participation, we usually limit entries to six Teams per Organisation. However, if we are unable to fill our available slots, we would be happy to allow each Organisation to enter more Teams. The decision to allow more than six Teams per organisation rests with the Wilson’s PFA Swimathon Committee.
Do we need a Team Captain?
Yes, every Organisation needs a Team Captain who is willing to take responsibility of their Team swimmers. They are also responsible to encourage fundraising sponsorship for their own chosen School, Charity and Organisation. Each Team Captain is also the sole point of contact for Wilson’s PFA.
What else does the Team Captain have to do?
Team Captains are encouraged to keep their respective Team/s informed of all communication, updates and instructions sent by Wilson’s PFA.
Which time slot can I have?
On your Entry Form, we ask Team Captains to list four choices in order of preference. Time slots are allocated to Teams on a ‘first-come-first-served’ basis so the sooner you return your completed entry forms, the more likely you are to get the slots you request.
Can I choose any lane/s I want for my Team/s?
For health and safety reasons, all side lanes (on the left and the right) are reserved for Teams with special needs. The rest of the lane allocation happens on a ‘first-come-first-served’ basis. We cannot guarantee specific lanes to Teams.
Will someone log the number of lengths swum by each Team?
Wilson’s PFA Team Members will be logging the total number of lengths swum by each Team; they will not log number of lengths swum by individuals. A copy of the log sheet will be given to each Team Captain at the end of their swim.
On average, how many lengths does a Team swim in 50 minutes?
On average, a Team of swimmers tend to swim between 75 and 100 lengths. A circulating trophy (which is used every year) is awarded to the Team who achieves the highest number of lengths annually, as a recognition of their efforts.
How many Teams are likely to take part?
We are hoping to have 24 participating Teams in 2024, with 288 swimmers approximately.
How much sponsorship money does each swimmer and/or Team have to raise?
There is no fixed recommended amount per swimmer and/or Team. We encourage everyone to do their best. In previous years, each participating swimmer has raised between £50 – £100 approximately.
How much money will each organisation receive?
60% of sponsorship obtained by your Team will go to the School, Charity or Organisation chosen by you. 40% of sponsorship obtained will be kept back by Wilson’s PFA. You may also choose to donate your entire sponsorship money to Wilson’s PFA. All money raised by Wilsonian Teams goes back to Wilson’s school. Your chosen organisation will receive 60% of the total sponsorship money raised. All Gift Aid claimed back from HMRC is not included in the 60% given back to each Team.
How do I collect sponsorship money?
Keeping our environment in mind, Wilson’s PFA would like you to stay green wherever possible. We encourage you to obtain sponsorship online by registering your own Team at Wilson’s PFA’s Swimathon 2024 JustGiving page. Apart from being the easiest and quickest way of raising money, this also saves you the hassle of having to chase up money afterwards. Where unavoidable, you can accept donations by cash or cheque. Cash and cheque donations have to be logged on individual sponsorship forms.
Can we use Wilson’s PFA’s marketing and publicity material to attract swimmers for our Team?
Yes, you can. As a participant, you are very welcome to share all / any publicity material that is posted on our Social media pages and also on our website. Please follow and like our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
How do I set up a fundraising page for my Team?
It is very easy to set-up a fundraising page for each Team taking part in the Swimathon 2024. To set up your own Team fundraising page, follow the steps listed below:
- Visit – https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/wilsons-swimathon-2024
- Click on the orange ‘Start Fundraising’ button.
- Click on the ‘Sign up’ button to register and create your Organisation’s Swimathon fundraising Sub-page.
- Your Organisation’s fundraising Sub-page must be linked to the Wilson’s Swimathon 2024 page.
- When setting up your Organisation’s Sub-page, please remember to use your Organisations name as the ‘First name’ and ‘Surname’ e.g. Nonsuch PTA or Wilson’s School etc. (instead of your own personal name).
- 60% of your collected sponsorship monies will be given to your chosen Organisation or Charity.
- If you do not select an Organisation or a Charity, all sponsorship monies raised by your Team/s will go to Wilson’s PFA.
We have never taken part in a Swimathon before. Can we attend a Trial session?
Yes, you can. Team Captains can book a lane at a local swimming pool for an hour to organise a trial Swimathon for their team before the actual event date. If you need any help from Wilson’s PFA, please reach out and we would be happy to help.
What is the best way of reaching Epsom College’s swimming pool?
Please click here to find your best route to reach Epsom College.
Is there parking nearby on the day of the Swimathon?
Yes, there are plenty of free parking spaces available at Epsom College. Team Captains and participating swimmers will be given a parking permit on the day of the Swimathon that allows them to park for free for the entire duration of their Swimathon. Please remember to collect your permit from PFA Member, Nina Guha, on the day of the Swimathon.
What does the swimmer have to bring with them on the day of the Swimathon?
Each swimmer has to bring their swimming kits, towels, a drink and a snack.
Can our swimmers buy swimming caps on the day of the Swimathon?
Swimmers, who like wearing swimming caps, must bring their own with them on the day of the Swimathon. We do not sell any merchandise and none will be available on the day.
When do swimmers taking part have to arrive?
Swimmers are encouraged to be at Epsom College at least 30 minutes before their start time e.g. if your Team swimathon starts at 1.00 pm, please arrive at the swimming pool by 12.30 pm.
When are swimmers likely to finish?
Wilson’s PFA’s Swimathon runs like clockwork and will finish 50 minutes after you start swimming. It often takes between 10 – 15 minutes after the swim to get showered and changed.
Can our friends and family watch our Team/s swim?
Yes, there is a viewing gallery at the pool. Friends and family are very welcome to watch and cheer their Team swimmers. Banners to cheer your own Teams are very much encouraged and welcome too!
Can we take pictures of our Team swimming?
Due to safeguarding reasons, visitors are not allowed to take any pictures on the day. Wilson’s PFA will have an official photographer who will be taking pictures on the day. These pictures will be shared with Team Captains who can share it with their own participating swimmers.
If our swimmers are under 18, is there anything we need to do as their Team Captain?
Yes, if you have any under 18 swimmers in your team, they must be supervised by an adult (from within your organisation) from start to finish, including keeping an eye on them in the changing rooms. There are two separate changing rooms i.e. for male and female swimmers. Parents are not allowed in any of the changing rooms due to safeguarding reasons! Team Captains should ensure that swimmers have an adult of the same gender to accompany them in the changing rooms.
Can we help Wilson’s PFA in any other way on the day of the Swimathon?
Our Swimathon is a large-scale event and we do rely on an army of Volunteer helpers on the day to run this event smoothly. We are always looking for lane counters and Parent Volunteers. If you have an enhanced DBS, (both for children and adults), and can help us on the day, please get in touch with us. We would be very grateful to you!
If I used a paper sponsorship form, who do I hand over our cash and cheque donations to?
All cash donations can be handed over to our Swimathon Organiser, Tina Savjani, along with your completed Swimathon sponsorship forms.
When will we receive our certificates and 60% sponsorship money?
We will send back a cheque payable to your chosen organisation within a month of receiving your Teams completed Swimathon online donations and sponsorship forms.
Who can I contact if I have a query that is not listed above?
Please contact our Swimathon Organiser, Tina Savjani, if you have any further queries that are not listed above, using our ‘Contact Us’ form.
Thank you! We wish all our swimmers a FUN and happy Swimathon!