Pier To Pier Swim: What It Was Like Volunteering

Last Saturday, on the 9th July 2022, I spent my afternoon volunteering at the Bournemouth Pier-To-Pier Swim Event. Organised by the British Heart Foundation, I was very excited to be a part of something so amazing. I'm not the strongest swimmer and I haven't exactly been blessed with stamina in my life, so I figured my skills might be best used as a volunteer helping organise the event rather than take part. 

In one word, it was amazing. And not just because I got to spend my afternoon in the bright sunshine on a sandy beach, but because I got to see thousands of people giving up their weekend off to swim, fundraiser and volunteer for charity. Lots of people were doing it for a specific family member, some were like me and just doing it for a good cause, but everyone wanted to be a part of the change that this brilliant charity creates. I had a chance to speak to about five different volunteers properly in my time there, and all of them had different stories about what the British Heart Foundation meant to them. It was really inspiring to see the number of lives that this charity touches, and how many people it helps heal after the horrible effects of cardiac diseases. 

So why this charity? Why this event? For me, it was actually a lot to do with chance. One Sunday evening in early April I was in the bath scrolling through instagram and an ad for volunteering suddenly popped up. A few days earlier I had set myself the challenge of doing at lease one nice, selfless thing a day and so it seemed like fate to be shown this opportunity. I’ve never volunteered at an event before but after this I would 100% recommend. The people were absolutely lovely, and as a bonus I got to help contribute to a brilliant cause with more than a donation of money, with a donation of time and care. 

Bournemouth was absolutely full on the day, between the pier to pier fundraiser, the hot sun and the university open day, there wasn’t a single spot left on the beach. I think in total on the Saturday there were 2000 swimmers, an absolutely extraordinary number, and although I wasn’t able to go back on the Sunday they were expecting to raise a whopping £400k for their charity. It just goes to show the amazing things we can do when we group together for good causes. 

Don’t get me wrong it was hard work. I was on baggage claim, which meant I had to sort hundreds of bags into their sections and then find every swimmers bag for them when they got out of the sea. But it was so rewarding that if anything it should be even more of a reason for you to do it. Not everyone is able to travel to a different city for a specific event, but that’s okay! There are lots of different ways you can make a positive contribution to your community; organise a food bank collection, do a fun run, litter pick at the beach. Every single action plays a part in change, and change starts with us.