delqom

I have heard of being refreshed whilst travelling but this is ridiculous! Last weekend was the annual Bestival on the Isle of Wight, which attracted thousands of party goers eager to display their fancy dress costumes. Most travelled by the usual ferry method, but twelve individuals had another idea. They planned to swim across the Solent as a group to raise cash for charity.

This intrepid group of swimmers each received complimentary tickets to Bestival at the expense of the organiser for all the effort.They had to cross one of the busiest strips of shipping water in the world. For everyone else it was business as usual travelling by Isle of Wight ferry making the journey between Portsmouth – Ryde, and Lymington – Yarmouth.

The swimmers geared themselves for the Friday start, which took them from Stokes Bay to Ryde Pier on the Isle of Wight. The aim of Swim2Bestival was fund raising on behalf of the Marie Curie cancer charity, and the Imibala Trust in South Africa. The Imibala Trust, a South African charity is helping to fund the education for the multitude of disadvantaged kids in the region. A coordinator of the swim, Yasmin Hussein, has previously had first hand experience with the trust and wanted to offer something in return.. The swimmers who came from all parts of the UK aimed to raise enough cash to buy a new minibus for the school.

Bestival headliner Radio One DJ Rob Da Bank embraced the sponsored swim idea. He not only made sure that the swimmers receved their free entry, but also allowed them to raise extra cash inside Bestival cleaning and polishing shoes.. A swimmer was overheard saying, “Its a really crazy way to arrive, but Bestival is all about crazy ideas.”. Its a brilliant little boutique festival.

Bestival was a three day festival held in the Robin Hill Country Park, its established site for several years. We have not heard any announcements yet about the amount of money raised, but should hear something soon.