Kirkcudbright RNLI volunteer to take the plunge for boathouse extension fundraising campaign

Christine Collins will swim 200 lengths of Kirkcudbright Swimming Pool in October to support the crew’s appeal for an extension to their boathouse

The volunteer press officer of Kirkcudbright RNLI is to take the plunge to support a fundraising campaign.

Christine Collins will swim 200 lengths of Kirkcudbright Swimming Pool in October to support the crew’s appeal for an extension to their boathouse.

The team has been tasked with raising £50,000 to go towards the estimated cost of £1.2 million, with thousands of pounds having been raised since the campaign was launched in June.

Christine – whose husband John is the lifeboat operations manager – said: “The appeal is going incredibly well. The money has absolutely poured in from every direction.

“There was a regatta and the guy said to me he’d maybe get a couple of hundred pounds – and he brought £880! There has been incredible support.

“I started training in January and hadn’t really swam at all in years. The first attempt I managed 10 lengths, but now I’m swimming five days a week. At least once a week I’m doing 100 lengths.

“I’m fairly confident I’ll manage – I’m just hoping the adrenaline will get me through.

“People have got used to me being there all the time and folk are starting to give me advice.

“Someone is always tell me to kick harder and someone is telling me to float longer – I’m thinking one guy’s name when I’m pushing out and another guy’s name when I’m kicking!

“The support I’ve had, and everybody else has had, has been amazing.

“It’s amazing the number of people who’ve said it’s motivated them to get into the pool.

“What I’m doing isn’t a huge thing for someone who swims – I keep saying it’s a horizontal walk – but even the manager of the pool has said it’s inspired them to get in and start swimming again.”

Christine, 66, will take on her challenge on October 8 when she attempts to swim 200 lengths of the 50m pool – the distance chosen to mark the RNLI’s 200th anniversary.

And it’s not just the boathouse appeal that will benefit.

She added: “On the same day some of my friends and I have got together to run a coffee morning at the swimming pool.

“The funds from that are going to go to a new defibrillator for the pool.

“The pool have been really good, I’ve been ploughing up and down the pool for months and they’ve been very accommodating so I felt it would be nice to give something back.”

To sponsor Christine, visit www.justgiving.com/page/christine-collins-1724687318348

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