PORTSMOUTH NORTHSEA SWIMMING CLUB
We are Portsmouth Northsea Swimming Club and have been operating since 1927 and we are determined the pandemic will not leave us high and dry. We are a not for profit organisation run by an elected committee of volunteers. During lock down our 250 swimmers aged from 7 to 74 have managed to keep training in their homes, gardens and during their outdoor daily exercise - but it has not been easy. With our pools shut for many months we have been hit hard mentally, physically and financially by the pandemic. Our amazing coaches and volunteers have worked hard to keep our swimmers physically and mentally fit and now we need to need to ensure we are also financially fit.
Never has exercise and sport been more important for our physical and mental health and we need your help to ensure we continue to be financially stable as a swimming club.
Olivia PNSC Swimmer "I love swim training with my squad and I really miss all my swimming friends - I can't wait to get back in the pool".
WHY ARE WE CROWD FUNDING?
Normally we raise the majority of our income via our membership fees and by hosting swimmer competitions - but both these income streams have been hit hard, so now we need to FUNDRAISE to ensure that we can keep Portsmouth swimming and we need your help.
Sport England has launched an initiative called 'Active Together' to combat the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on sports clubs and community activity groups, by match funding through Crowdfunder.
Our initial crowdfunding target is £20,000 and to receive the match funding from Sport England, our club needs to do a few things:
- Raise at least 25% of the initial target
- Raise this from a minimum number of 100 supporters
- Sports England will then consider match funding up to 50% towards our initial crowdfunding target – up to a maximum of £10,000.
We intend to run a series of Crowdfunder initiatives in order to reach our target and secure the extra Sport England funding. Please join in and support our club as much as you can, either by donating or by sharing our campaign with families and friends. We really do need your support to help PNSC survive the financial impact of the pandemic.
Austin PNSC swimmer "We've had to find new ways to train! Which is OK - but I'm looking forward to training with my friends again soon".
GOOD NEWS AND NOT SO GOOD NEWS
With no access to the pools our swimmers normally train in, our swimmers have been focusing on land training and are now plugged into a series of Zoom sessions with our amazing strength and conditioning coach. THE GOOD NEWS is that pools should re-open on 12 April 2021; the NOT SO GOOD NEWS is we have not been able to maintain our regular income due to reductions in both membership fees and income from the swimming competitions we normally host.
So, we are embarking on a crowdfunding campaign to help us ensure we can continue to do the following:
- Support families and swimmers who are finding it hard to afford swimming fees.
- Build resources for our swimmers that have found lockdown hard and might find a return to the swimming pool a mental challenge.
- Develop our coaches and volunteers so they are best placed to support our swimmers.
- Pay our bills for pool time and coaching staff.
- Cover the additional costs incurred due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Ensure we are here for future generations of swimmers in the region.
To kick off our fundraising we have set our swimmers and members a challenge that we'd love you all to take part in and support.
Jeremy - PNSC swimmer "Since I joined the club last year - my swimming has not only improved due to the excellent coaching but I have made friends for life. I can't say I miss the early starts at the moment - but I can't wait to get back in the water".
HOW YOU CAN HELP US?
There are many ways in which you can help us to reach our £20,000 target - it's as big number but it's what we need:
- Make a Donation
- Set yourself a March Challenge and raise Sponsorhsip
- Share this page with your family, friends, work colleagues and local businesses
- Share our campaign with businesses that might like to sponsor our club
- Set up a multiplier crowd funder - with your own fundraising activity and pledge for your donations and supporters to our Crowdfunder campaign
- Offer a prize or reward for our campaign
FISH OUT OF WATER CHALLENGE - PNSC MARCH FUNDRAISER!
We want all our swimmers, members and supporters to take up this fun, motivating and healthy challenge, whilst fundraising for the club! Please join in and support our club as much as you can, either by donating or by sharing our campaign far and wide. We really do need your support to help us keep PNSC running for all our members, both current and future.
We will be running a number of fundraising activities and to kick off, before the end of March we challenge you to run, cycle, walk, swim, skateboard, scooter, or any other means of self-powered transit your way through any of the distances below:
- 3km
- 5km
- 10km
- Personal Challenge*
* You could set your own personal challenge - this could be a longer distance, a number of pull ups, press ups, sea swimming distance or a lap of the park. You don't need to complete your challenge in one go - but you can if you want to!
Once you have selected your challenge ask friends and family if they will sponsor you to complete it and once you've finished your challenge they can transfer their donation via this webpage - by hitting the Support Us or Donate buttons and transferring their donation. Let your coach know as soon as you can what your challenge will be and then keep them updated of your progress. We will be posting regular updates to see how you are all doing. Good luck to James and Ollie from our National Squad with their challenges :-)
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE
If you are still reading then a massive thank you!
We are appealing to anyone who loves swimming and our club, to please take a look at our fundraising page and help us if you can. Swimming is a sport for life, it can be competitive, fun and rewarding. It is a vital life skill for all children and especially for those living on an island like Portsmouth and it's great to see many of our swimmers have taken to sea swimming during lockdown.
During the lock downs we have worked extremely hard to keep our costs as low as they can be for our swimmers and their families and our coaches and volunteers continue to give their time to help keep the swimmers motivated and the club going.
Any money we would have raised through our own competitions and events has been made impossible this year and this looks set to be the case for the coming months. SO THANK YOU IN ADVANCE for anything you can donate to support us - every pound will really make a difference and we will put it all to good use.
"Swimming at Portsmouth Northsea - has really helped me to not only keep fit but to de-stress and keep everything in perspective". Ollie PNSC Swimmer.