After many long car journeys to and from Edinburgh, wild swimming came up as a regular topic for conversation in the Marriott car.

Our take of the Wild Swimming Challenge involves swimming in "wild water" once a month for a year. All the swimming will take place in our home county, Sutherland, in the north of Scotland. We will swim for a distance not less than the length of an olympic sized swimming pool (50m). No wetsuits allowed... 

Our challenge will support a charity close to our hearts; the Sandpiper Trust. 

The Sandpiper Trust supplies medical equipment to doctors, nurses and paramedics in rural Scotland who volunteer to respond to emergencies; my mum is one of these 'responders'.

When an ambulance is not available to get to an incident in time, an on call responder, if available in the same area, will "crash out" and stabilise the casualty until the ambulance can get there. In Sutherland this is especially important as there are usually only two ambulances on duty at any one time, covering an area of over 5000 square kilometres.

Sandpiper has remained fully operational throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, supplying and delivering emergency equipment, as well as supporting volunteer responders; all of their fundraising events have been cancelled, meaning that any support you can show would be amazing. 

Our original goal throughout 2021 was £1500, as we weren't certain how the campaign would be received. We have been staggered and encouraged by the amazing response we have had; so have decided to raise the goal to £5000. This is around enough for about two sandpiper bags that will be given to a doctor, nurse or paramedic, (the large blue one shown in the photograph of us).

One Sandpiper bag have many things in it, but they all include:

- a defibrillator at a cost of £1300

- an EZIO system (a drill for going through bone and 2 needles) which is £500

- with each EZIO needle costing £80

For more information please visit http://www.sandpipertrust.org