SUPPORTING

               St John’s Hospice,

                  Moggerhanger

                  (Sue Ryder Care)

Bedford School Pool, Saturday 20th November 2010

Event Information & Instructions

GETTING STARTED

Each team will consist of up to six people and all team members must be competent swimmers in water to a depth of 3.5 metres. Having found your swimmers the first step is to enter online, or download a form and send it, together with an entry fee of £10, in to Rotarian Ivan Flack (contact details below). All teams must have submitted, and had accepted, an online or written entry in order to take part.

When your entry is accepted and your swimming time agreed your Team Captain will be notified by e-mail or - for those entrants without internet access - by letter. All you need to do after this is to raise as much sponsorship as you can and turn up, fighting fit, on the day.

The entry process gives a choice of three preferred times for your team's swim. We will endeavour to offer the team's preferred times as far as we can, but inevitably there will be an element of "first come, first served" for the more popular times, so it would be a good idea to get your entry submitted as early as possible.

SPONSORSHIP

Sponsorship raised will be divided equally between  The Bedford Hospitals Charity Duckling Appeal and a charity nominated by the team. This must be a charity registered with the Charity Commission. If you wish, your team can elect for the total amount raised by your sponsors to be donated to The Bedford Hospitals Charity Duckling Appeal

All sponsorship pledges should be recorded on the Swimathon Sponsorship Form. Sponsors have a choice of either pledging an amount per length swum or a single sum merely to complete the 50 minute swim.

A column is provided on the Swimathon Sponsorship Form by which donors who are individual taxpayers may make their payment subject to Gift Aid. This is a tax concession which allows the receiving charity to reclaim tax on the donation, in addition to the donation itself.

After the swim, it will be the team's responsibility to collect the promised sponsorship. The total amount of sponsorship money raised, together with the Sponsorship Form, should be sent to Rotarian Ivan Flack at the address shown below. Cheques should be payable to The Rotary Club of Bedford Benevolent Fund. As part of its service to participants, The Rotary Club of Bedford will handle the Gift Aid claim to the tax authorities and will forward to you the money raised plus Gift Aid for each team's nominated charity. The whole of the proceeds raised by your sponsors, plus Gift Aid will be available to either The Bedford Hospitals Charity Duckling Appeal or your chosen charity, since the whole of the administration costs will be covered by your entry fee, plus sponsorship of the event arranged by The Rotary Club of Bedford.

ON THE DAY

• Please ensure that you arrive in good time so that you are able to be changed and ready to swim ten minutes before your allocated start time. There are, of course, changing rooms and showers at the pool.
• Parking is available on the left before the security gates to Bedford School which you will meet once you have entered through the main Barnaby Road entrance to the school, off De Parys Avenue, Bedford, (which is to be found on the east side of De Parys Avenue, Bedford).
• Each team will swim for 50 minutes with start times at hourly intervals from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. Teams may organise their relay of swimmers in whatever way they think fit. There is no requirement for each team member to shoulder an equal amount of the work, only a need for the swimming to be constant and unbroken for the entire 50 minutes.
• Fully qualified lifeguards, provided by Bedford School, will be in attendance throughout the event.
• Each lane will have a nominated steward provided by The Rotary Club of Bedford who will be responsible for certifying the number of lengths swum by each team.

Any team wishing to bring a few non-swimming supporters is welcome to do so.

ROTARY CONTACTS

Ivan Flack, Gobion House, Godfrey Lane, Sharnbrook, Beds. MK44 1PS      Tel: 01234 783181 or 01234 214705      email - ivan.flack@btinternet.com

RULES

The aim is for everyone to enjoy themselves in a relaxed atmosphere but there are, inevitably, a few rules as follows:

1. Do not enter the pool until directed by a steward.

2. Leave the water when directed by a steward.

3. Do not run around or push anyone into the pool, or dive into the water.

4. A single whistle blast will indicate the start and finish of each session.

5. The alarm or a continuous whistle blast will indicate an emergency and all swimmers must leave the pool immediately.

6. Do not tamper with the lane breaker ropes.

7. Do not bring glass or ceramic items into the pool area.

8. No photographs of children may be taken.

9. Please behave appropriately in the changing rooms.

10. No alcohol may be taken into the pool area.

11. All children taking part in the event must be supervised by a member of the organisation entering the team.

12. The Rotary Club of Bedford is unable to accept responsibility for personal possessions.