64 Midwich employees, including senior management, formed teams of up to four that then swam the distance from Dover to Calais to raise funds for the regional charity.
On being presented with the cheque, David Murphy from the EAAA said: “I’d like to say a big thank you to Midwich for all their efforts. To raise this amount in their first-ever charity event for us is fantastic. £2,000 is the amount we need to send up our helicopter for a mission, so it’s no exaggeration to say that Midwich’s efforts have potentially saved a life.”
The winning team took two weeks to complete their distance, heading for the local pool every day after work to reach their target. Coming from the company’s Key Accounts department, the team consisted of Kelley Chisman, Emma Knowles, Karl Brett and Ellis Barnes and they were rewarded with personal fitness training sessions at Wymondham Leisure Centre, swim vouchers plus a trophy supplied by Diss Trophy Centre.
Local council swimming pools played a massive part in the initiative, allowing all Midwich staff who are not members to use their facilities for free. Sally Garnham, centre manager at Diss Swim and Fitness centre said: “We are very happy to support this fantastic fundraising effort by one of our corporate members. Not only do events like this raise money for local charities, they also raise the profile of swimming, a skill that could one day save your life.”
Midwich Commercial Director, Alex Ward, said: “This is our first year supporting EAAA and the response across the board has been fantastic, with new starters signing up for our ‘Swim the Channel Challenge’ alongside our Directors and management. We have also been fortunate to have one of our key business partners – Oki – sponsor the event with some very welcome funding.”
The amount is a welcome start to Midwich’s chosen charity of 2013, with a £15,000 target hoped to be raised from a variety of events throughout the year, including an upcoming auction of promises and charity soccer match.