Issue 214 - North Down BT18 •BT19 • BT20 • BT21
MAKE WAVES WITH SWIMATHON
WATER-LOVERS across North Down are being urged to dive into Swimathon 2026, as it celebrates four decades of swimming success.
Pictured with schoolchildren from a local primary school at the Ulster Folk Museum are Communities Minister Gordon Lyons, Kathryn Thomson, Chief Executive of National Museums NI and Dr Paul Mullan, Northern Ireland Director at The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Communities Minister ‘reawakens’ the Ulster Folk Museum with £50m in funding Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has announced a £50million investment in the Ulster Folk Museum. The funding will support the delivery of the Reawakening project – a pivotal opportunity to improve the Ulster Folk Museum’s facilities, enhance access to collections and strengthen the museum’s role in helping people
connect with their heritage. The Minister said: “For more than 60 years, the Ulster Folk Museum has preserved, shared and celebrated the traditions, skills and ways of life of the people of Ulster, past and present,
and this investment is vital to ensure our heritage is retained for future generations. “The Reawakening Project will see the Ulster Folk Museum transform to a multi-layered heritage and environment resource, which sustains
more relevant and active connections with its audiences. This marks a profound shift in the museum’s positioning.
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The sponsored event now the world’s largest annual pool-based fundraising swim - is taking place at nearly 500 venues across the UK from March 20 to 22. Pools set to play host include Bangor Aurora Aquatic as well as Queen’s Sport, Botanic Avenue, Templemore Baths, Templemore Avenue and Olympia Leisure Centre, Boucher Road in Belfast. Lagan Valley Leisureplex at Lisburn Leisure Park, and Leisure complex and Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre, Garryduff Road, Ballymoney are also venues. Since 1986, more than 750,000 participants have taken part in Swimathon and raised over £55 million for good causes. This year, organisers are calling on swimmers of all ages and abilities to help celebrate
the event’s 40th anniversary by making a splash for Cancer Research UK, end of life charity Marie Curie and Swimathon Foundation. Swimathon offers a variety of individual challenges from 500m up to a supercharged Triple 5k or teams of 2-5 people can take part in a 1.5k, 2.5k or 5k relay. Anyone who can’t make one of the organised sessions can sign up to MySwimathon and choose a distance, time and venue that suits to complete their swim anytime in March. What started as an initiative to increase participation in swimming at local authority pools forty years ago, has become a much-loved force for good - earning far-reaching support. Sign up now at swimathon.org