Donation will make a splash

A swimming club has received a cash boost to help replace old timing equipment.

Deepings Swimming Club is celebrating after receiving a £750 donation from Persimmon Homes East Midlands.

The club, which holds its meetings at Deepings Leisure Centre, bought a new electronic new timing board earlier this year after raising more than £3,000.

Now the timing console it links to, which produces the results for each race, must also be updated as it is nearly 20-years-old and is not always completely accurate.

The donation from Persimmon’s Healthy Communities scheme, which supports sportspeople under the age of 21, will help with the timing console.

Stephen Tappern, of the club, said: “We’re thrilled to receive this generous donation. We are a thriving club with many committed members, including a strong junior section.

“Our timing equipment is so old it is now not as accurate as it should be and it is nearly impossible to obtain spares to fix it when it breaks.

“This timing equipment is critical to the swimmers for their continued improvement and it is required for open meets and galas where we have visiting clubs.

“These open meets are our only source of funding outside of the fees paid by parents of swimmers, so it’s important that they continue.”

Every month sports clubs and individuals in each of Persimmon’s 30 operating areas receive donations of £750 – a total of £22,500.

In January 30 finalists from each region will be selected and a public vote will follow, with prizes of £200,000, £50,000 and £5,000 up for grabs.

The Healthy Communities scheme runs alongside Persimmon’s Community Champions initiative for non-sports clubs, which sees more than £700,000 dished out to good causes each year.

Nova Eames, head of sales for Persimmon Homes East Midlands, said: “Deepings Swimming Club is a great club which provides competitive swimming for people of all ages across the area.

“We’re delighted to be able to help them.”