The Seaford Mermaids' seventh Big Swim has raised £5,271 online for Newhaven RNLI, plus Gift Aid. The lifeboat station's open day added over £3,000.

The Seaford Mermaids’ annual Big Swim has raised £5,271 online for Newhaven’s lifeboat, with Gift Aid still to be added on top.

The open water swimmers met at The Buckle in Seaford at 8am on Saturday 26 September for their seventh Big Swim. The swim was followed by hot drinks and cake on the beach, the RNLI said in its release on 30 September.

How much it raised

The RNLI’s release says the swim “added over £500” to the group’s running total. The campaign’s own JustGiving page shows considerably more. When we checked it on 4 October it recorded:

  • £5,271 raised online
  • 251 donations
  • £1,167.75 in Gift Aid on top

The page opened on 10 August, so its total includes sponsorship given in the weeks before the swim. All of it goes to the RNLI.

According to the RNLI, the Mermaids have now raised more than £42,000 for the charity since the group formed.

Who the Mermaids are

The Mermaids are a community of more than a thousand open water swimmers. The group is co-run by a member of Newhaven RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew.

Members get detailed weather and swim forecasts, which the group says are there to keep people swimming safely all year. Emmeline, an RNLI volunteer and one of the group’s forecasters, said: “Empowering our members to swim safely throughout the year is at the heart of the Mermaids’ ethos.”

“It was great to see so many members come down to the beach last Saturday to enjoy a swim and raise vital funds for the RNLI,” she added.

A busy weekend for the station

The next day, Sunday 27 September, Newhaven RNLI held its annual open day. This year the crew ran small-group tours that walked visitors through each stage of a callout, from the pager going off to the debrief.

The RNLI says hundreds of people came. Gift shop sales, refreshments and donations raised more than £3,000.

What it means for you

The JustGiving page is still open if you want to add to the total. Donations go straight to the RNLI, and UK taxpayers can add Gift Aid.

The Newhaven Lifeboat Station page has visitor information and details of the station’s RNLI shop.