Swimalong - Mar 2023

SWIMALONG 2023

Rotary Beckenham has raised nearly £5,700 for the Bromley Little Theatre ReBuilt campaign

On Sunday 26th March, the Rotary Club of Beckenham staged the fifth Swimalong at the West Wickham Leisure Centre, to raise funds for our chosen charity this year… the campaign to restore and redevelop our local theatre. 

Each year our aim is to swim a marathon ... between us!  It is a collective event and swimmers of any ability are welcomed.  Participation is free, but we hope that through sponsorship the swimmers will raise funds for our chosen charity.

In previous years we have raised money for Fighting Poverty in Zambia, Children in Need, RNLI and for the London Air Ambulance.

29 swimmers gathered at the Leisure Centre and cumatively swam over 22 miles. A further 7 swimmers, swimming elsewhere, achieved another 13 miles. 

The target of a 26-mile marathon swim within three hours was well beaten.

The Mayor of Bromley, Councillor Hannah Gray, accompanied by Cllr. Colin Hitchins, graciously attended, met some of the swimmers and organisers and drew the winning prize draw ticket.

Our thanks again go to the West Wickham Leisure Centre for generously hosting this event. Our thanks also to our volunteers, supporters and sponsors. But most of all, our thanks to the swimmers for taking part in this event and for the great result that they achieved.

Rotary Beckenham has raised over £20,000 in total, for various charites over the five Swimalong events. 

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More about the romley Little Theatre ReBuilt campaign. The 113-seat theatre was established in 1938 on its present site which was converted from an old Victorian bakery. 

BLT present a full-length play every month and an ‘In The Bar’ show every couple of months. Their vision is to present outstanding theatre for everyone – from the best of contemporary dramas, comedies, thrillers, farces, musical productions as well as the classics.

This bijou theatre has undergone many improvements over the past decade in order to create a more comfortable and enjoyable venue for everyone and a major re-development programme received planning approval from Bromley Council in July. This work will be phased over several years to ensure that BLT don’t overstretch themselves financially or disrupt too many activities.

This is hugely important for BLT and means they can stay in North Street for many years to come for the enjoyment of current and future generations of people who love the theatre.

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