London Calling Droitwich Dolphins

Aim

London's Calling is our fundraising theme, inspired by the 2012 London Olympics, in order to provide positivity for the future of our club.

Who are we?

Droitwich Dolphins is a competitive swimming club in the heart of the community, and is based in the Worcestershire town of Droitwich Spa. We are affiliated to Worcester County and West Midlands Region

Notable fact!
Droitwich Spa is situated on vast deposits of salt and the town’s natural brine contains 2½ lbs of salt per gallon – ten times stronger than sea water and rivalled only by the Dead Sea!  

What are we trying to achieve?

2020 was a difficult year for all of us. Covid-19 lockdowns forced our leisure centre to shut, then a short reopening last summer, followed by another lockdown at the start of 2021, has brought changes to our normal training programme, with restrictions on numbers in lanes etc. This has provided us with the opportunity to look objectively at the club and put together a re-structuring of our groups, that will allow us offer places to more swimmers so we are able to build and thrive going forwards.  

Our focus is to achieve a growing and thriving club, to grow our membership so that swimming is accessible to children, young adults and masters. Strengthening the support we give to our current membership, as well as re-engaging with former swimmers and being in a position to attract new swimmers of all ages and abilities.

How can you help?

We are looking for donations from individuals or companies, either in the form of a cash pledge via this crowdfunding page to support our efforts to encourage more people to get involved in the club.

For our part, we are looking to hold a number of events, starting with our themed London's Calling sponsored swim, where we will endeavour to swim the distance from our pool in Droitwich to the 2012 London Olympic pool as many times as we can during May. You could even get involved yourselves and earn a reward by swimming in a pool near you or walking the virtual distance to London (140miles!)

We are also looking to host a Colour War, where participants move around a small course and get coloured powder thrown on them. Open to anyone who wants to take part,  they will receive a special commemorative medal on completion.  

What makes our project great?

Swimming is more than just a sport and the club is where our swimmers will learn to develop life skills such as social interaction, where team mates support each other to push themselves, there may be highs and lows from time to time, but working together they create a sense of belonging. This team spirit carries over in everything we do.

Check out the video of some of our swimmers talking about what they like about the club:

Our Army of Volunteers! 

Our senior swimmers who volunteer to work with our younger swimmers.

We rely on our volunteers to help manage the running of events, recording, timekeeping, team managing, as well as the management and administration of our club. We encourage and support our older swimmers to take teaching and coaching qualifications, sharing their own experiences by working with our younger swimmers. 

All of these volunteers ensure that club money is only spent on pool hire, equipment and coaching leadership and development training. This enables us to ensure our training provision is as affordable as we can make it for the swimmers. 

What do our parents think?

There are lots of reasons why parents get their children involved in a swimming club, so what are they? Why do they think it's important? What do they like about the club and what would they say to other parents out there thinking about getting their children involved?  Check out what some them have to say in the video below:

What do the swimmers themselves think?

We are all about the swimmers so what are their views? Why do they swim? What do they like about swimming? What would you say to any children thinking of joining? See what they had to say in the video below:

Training is designed to bring out the best of swimmers but also has to be enjoyable, that's why we add fun challenges and races, such as this one from Christmas, when with greatly reduced numbers, we found a way to play pass the parcel! See the video below:

The club is very much a local hub, and in 'normal' times we often have social events, which as well as being fun, usually help us to raise much needed funds for our club, something that over the past 12 months, has not been able to happen.

Our annual awards night last year took place just three weeks before the national lockdown. 

Swimmers efforts are rewarded at the our awards presentation night.

Swim Mark accreditation is Swim England’s quality standard for clubs.  It recognises high standards of governance, sustainability and effectiveness. 

As a Swim Mark accredited club we provide a friendly and safe environment, in which all of our swimmers are able to access structured sessions in order to realise their full potential. We offer swimming training for all ages from 7 and above under the leadership of our new Head Coach and his team of assistant coaches and junior helpers. We believe, more than ever, physical exercise has never been more important, for everyone's general fitness, wellbeing and maintaining mental health.

How will the money we raise be spent?

This funding will enable us to increase our pool time, allowing us to welcome new members and ensure it is safe and accessible to all those who wish to take part. We are also looking to purchase some more equipment, such as backstroke ledges (a piece of equipment that helps with race starts) and new backstroke flags so that we can ensure our swimmers can practice safely.

                         Rewards!

Event 1: London's Calling Swim (May 1-May 31st)

One of our key activities will be our London's Calling sponsored swim. We will attempt to swim from Droitwich to the London Aquatic Centre, home of the 2012 Olympic games swimming events. All donations related to this event of £25/£50/£75 or more will receive a special Red and Gold Commemorative Trophy.

We are hoping that later in the year we will get the opportunity to take our swimmers down to London, for a visit to the Olympic park, a place where medals were won and dreams were achieved, creating a feeling of national pride, where our swimmers will get the chance to swim in the Olympic pool- hopefully motivating and inspiring them even more.

London Calling silicone swim cap (white)

Especially for the swim challenge we have a limited edition cap available, based on the easily recognisable London Underground station logo design. A special Droitwich version, bright red and blue colours on a white silicone cap, ideal for any swimmers collection!

Droitwich Dolphins Window Sticker

A 5cm x 18cm static cling (no glue) window sticker. Available for a donation of £3.00.

We Support Droitwich Dolphins Swim Team Fridge Magnet 

 A 5cm x 5cm limited edition fridge magnet available for a donation of £3.00.

Event 2 : Colour War (June 26th)

Sponsored by Forterra plc.                               You may be aware of colour runs, where participants have coloured powder thrown on them as they complete a run, so we are going to have our version of that. A short course leading to our War Zone for the 2021 Colour War a spectacular battle with coloured powder, open to all, so get friends, neighbours, relatives involved- this is the opportunity to let off some steam and participate in what will be the concluding event of our fundraising programme.

The entry fee of £15 will reward you with a white T shirt (essential), a pair of sun glasses, two packs of colour powder as well as the 2021 Colour War participation medal!

Extra powder £5.00, Wigs £3.00 and Garland £2.50 

Check out our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Club website for daily progress and updates!

Colour War BBQ. Hosted at The Crown and Sandy's, Ombersley.

Stick around for some food as we will be having a BBQ! 

Cadbury World Raffle

Win a family ticket (two adults, two children) to Cadbury World, see the history of chocolate making at the Bourneville factory, learn how they make, package and advertise some of your favourite products. Lots of samples and a tour that ends in the Cadbury shop. Yum!

30 minute Flight Experience with Clifton Aviation

Follow in the footsteps of our club member and pilot Michael Bray, take to the sky with this flying experience! Courtesy of the Bray Family.

Brookside Butchers Vouchers 

Visit this friendly butcher, carrying on the tradition of local butchery with small batch production of locally sourced meats and naturally smoked products. Great meats at great prices!

Mini Full HD 1080P Personal Body Camera

Wireless Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones

Kindly donated by Speak-IT Solutions Droitwich. www.speakit.co.uk

Sandsliders allow you to slide your pushchair over tough terrains. They are a great gift for new and expecting parents. Sandsliders take your troubles away! No need to wake your child, just attach and start sliding.  Sandsliders are lightweight and easy to fit, and can also flat pack for easy transport.

 Donated by Lee Cowan Company Director www.sandsliders.com

Golf at Ombersley Golf Club

Renowned for its friendly and relaxing atmosphere and welcomes all golfers on a pay and play basis - regardless of handicap.

Group Tennis Session at Droitwich Tennis Club

Take part in either an Adult or Junior fun Group Tennis Session at Droitwich Tennis Club kindly donated by Lee Cowan, Professional Head Coach. Lee will help to improve your game and get you back on the courts or even introduce you to tennis! Check out the club website www.droitwichtennis.co.uk  

One Months Membership for Droitwich Leisure Centre

Get yourself in shape for the summer with this membership at our leisure centre.  Check out  www.riversfitness.co.uk/droitwich-spa for more details.

Indulge with a chocolate lovers cake!

Who doesn't like a chocolate cake?! Courtesy of Kathryn Hankins.

Osprey Rucksack

 Talon 22L Osprey rucksack is an essential piece of equipment. Donated by Martin White at Go Outdoors

AirScape™ Suspension
An injection-moulded, die-cut foam AirScape™ backpanel creates a breathable, close-to-body fit. A flexible BioStretch harness and hipbelt, with a continuous lumbar-to-hipbelt wrap, allow for dynamic movement.

Light and Fast
A lightweight pack series designed with optimal stability for dynamic movement even on the most technical terrain.

Multi-Sport
From top-loaders to lumbar packs and everything in between, the Talon/Tempest Series accommodates the needs of hikers, bikers and more.

Sustainable Materials
Constructed with high-quality bluesign®-approved recycled high-tenacity nylon

A relaxing day fishing for 4 people

On the beautiful Laurels lake at Broadfields Fishery, in the village of Cutnall Green. The lake is stocked with a range of course fish including carp, F1s and a wide variety of silver fish up to 15lb in weight.

Courtesy of Jenny Thomas - www.broadfieldsfishery.com

Morrisons Droitwich Treats!

Chocoholics treat yourself to 88 iconic Marathon bars, courtesy of Morrisons, Droitwich. Delicious!

Enjoy the May Bank Holiday with a Boozy Hamper too! 

David Lloyd Leisure Clubs

Your family will become members for 5 days at this premier health and racquet club, enjoying a luxurious spa, indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a wide variety of exercise classes and fully equipped gym. There's something here for everyone!

OPI Gel Manicure at Le Spa Droitwich

Time to treat yourself! Enjoy a relaxing manicure courtesy of Le Spa. Check out their Facebook page for more beauty treats!

Toptracer Golf Session, Copcut Golf Centre    

Friendly 26 bay floodlit driving range with on site shop, offering golf equipment and accessories. Power tees, practice bunker, Toptracer technology and golf tuition from fully qualified PGA Professional available. See their Facebook page for more information.

Worcestershire County Cricket Bat, Signed    

Howzat! A fantastic willow cricket bat, signed by the Worcestershire Rapids Squad 2020! For all you cricket fans out there, grab yourself a great piece of cricket memorabilia, courtesy of New Road.

McDonald's Vouchers!

Fancy a trip to the Golden Arches!  McDonald's Droitwich have kindly donated tasty vouchers for all you hungry swimmers! I'm Lovin' It!

This project successfully funded on 25th June 2021