Fundraising
Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim raises £200,000 for heart research
More than 1,300 swimmers took to the sea to help us fund lifesaving research in the Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim 2023.
This year’s swim, sponsored by JAZZ™ Apples, took place on Saturday 1st July.
Over the weekend our determined participants zipped up their wetsuits to swim the 1.4 miles between Bournemouth and Boscombe Pier raising a staggering £200,000. This will help fund our groundbreaking research into new treatments and cures for heart and circulatory diseases.
Touching hearts
Many participants had emotive reasons for taking part, such as Sarah Foreland who was swimming in memory of her Father-in-law.
Tragically, Sarah’s father-in-law John suffered a cardiac arrest on her wedding day. He was taken to hospital and sadly died two days later.
Sarah said: “It was a very difficult time. John was such a big part of everyone’s life. John was my inspiration for taking on this year’s swim. We’d planned on taking part in the Bournemouth Pier to Pier before the pandemic. Unfortunately, we never got to do it together, so I wanted to honour him by doing it this year in his name.
“BHF’s Pier to Pier is a great swimming event and it’s important to me and the family to raise money for the BHF as well as awareness of these heart conditions.”
Becky Rosser, also took part in the swim. She was diagnosed with long QT syndrome after suffering multiple cardiac arrests aged four and six. Sadly, it was a condition she was very familiar with. It’s the same condition that caused her mother, Jayne’s, fatal cardiac arrest, in June 1998, aged just 25 years old – the same age Becky is now.
Becky said: “I’m now the same age my mother was when died from this disease. It’s heartbreaking to think that I’ve outlived her, but I try to focus on the positives in life.
“I wanted to do the Bournemouth Pier to Pier swim as I want to inspire others to let them know that as long as it’s within your boundaries, you can achieve your goals and dreams.
“I also want to raise as much as I can for the BHF. Its research is so important and gives people a chance to live or stay a bit longer. The only thing that’s constant in life is change and the BHF offers that change in positive ways.”
Since it was first held in 1992, more than 33,000 people have taken part in the swim helping to raise more than £3.6m for research into heart and circulatory conditions.
This year, each swimmer’s passion and dedication in getting to the finish line shone through and we can’t thank them enough for their support.
Roisin Greenup, our Senior Events Manager, said: “It was fantastic to see the passion and determination of our swimmers on Saturday. Without their commitment, we wouldn’t be able to fund research that has already broken new ground, revolutionised treatments and transformed the lives of millions of people in the UK.”
A JAZZ™ Apple spokesperson added: “It was fantastic to partner with the BHF for their Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim and see so many inspirational swimmers on the day taking part to raise much-needed funds for their research. We’re huge promoters of the importance of a healthy, balanced diet and believe sport and physical exercise are vital for a strong mind, body and soul so our brand’s core values align perfectly with those of the BHF.
"To greet the swimmers as they crossed the finish line with a JAZZ™ apple goody bag and see so many participants biting in to a refreshing JAZZ™ apple after the race was fantastic for the brand and the event was great to be involved in.”