A group of residents in East Cowes, who take part in daily sea swimming are on a mission to use their love of swimming to help raise vital funds for the town.
The Shrape Swimmers of East Cowes are taking part in a challenge to swim the distance around the Isle of Wight while remaining in the waters off East Cowes – socially distancing of course.
One of the swimmers, David Hill, told News OnTheWight,
“I’m very proud and excited to be a part this exciting and, may I say gruelling challenge, by The Shrape Swimmers of East Cowes.
“We are supporting the East Cowes Landslip Community Project in bringing home our seafront back to our Island community.”
Bringing esplanade back to former glory
The esplanade in East Cowes has suffered two landslips in the last six years and plans have been drawn up and agreed by IWC to renovate the area subject to securing funding.
The Swimming Group have asked the community to sponsor them “in this noble quest to bring the landslip area home to our Island community for all to enjoy”.
£15,000 raised by project
They aim to complete the challenge by summer 2021, but within 48 hours of posting to the East Cowes and Whippingham Community Facebook page, £10,000 had been pledged by residents to pay for gabions and benches. Along with East Cowes Town Council pledging £5,000, the project is now well underway.
Love: Taking the bull by the horns
East Cowes Town councillor, Karl Love, said,
“This demonstrates how important East Cowes is to the people of the town, which was built during the great depression by the people of East Cowes.
“So it seems fitting that today the project led by Sharon Lake and a small community committee, which I’m a part of, is taking the bull by the horns after being told by Isle of Wight Council of the funding needed to return the Esplanade to its former glory.”
To find out more visit the East Cowes Esplanade and Landslip Community Project.
To show your support for the landslip project by visiting the Go Fund Me page.
