A BRAVE local woman will take the plunge and take on a big swim in Weymouth Bay this weekend to raise money for beach lifesavers.

Fay Edgar, from Maiden Newton, will be swimming for 12 hours on Saturday to kick off a major £3,000 fundraising campaign for Weymouth Surf Life Saving Club (WSLSC).

Fay will take the plunge at 5.30am, splashing her way from Bowleaze Cove to the Pavilion peninsula and back again – the first of eight laps of Weymouth Bay totalling 32km, which is almost the same distance as swimming the English Channel from Dover to France.

Funds are needed for new boards and equipment for the club, which has doubled its membership of children and young people since starting three years ago, and now has a waiting list of those wishing to sign up.

Fay is well qualified to take on the challenge as a surf life-saving GB lifeguard, open water swimming coach and sports massage therapist - however Covid-19 restrictions have seen her cram six months’ worth of training into just six weeks.

She said: “I am passionate about teaching children how to stay safe in the sea. Every child should be able to swim and know what to do if they get into trouble on the beach.

“We need the resources to train more children, to save more lives, to make our coast a safer place to be, and that’s why I’m doing this mad swim. Our club is only in its third year and we need to train more coaches and we need more equipment, especially as it’s likely we won’t be able to share rescue boards in the immediate future due to the Covid-19 situation.”

Fay said originally the swim challenge was planned to coincide with a big club event, with the children swimming, paddling rescue boards and doing beach games. This is now impossible due to Covid-19.

Fay added: “The swim is certainly going to be a test to see what can be achieved when the limits of endurance are pushed over a very short training period. I know these are difficult times but it really will make a difference if you can please donate whatever you can by going to www.swimming4charity.co.uk.”

Fay will be backed-up by a safety and support team, including expert kayakers Paul and Will Nicol and Roy Beal.

Fay’s daughter Beth will provide shore-side support and safety as well as vital sustenance – Fay will burn up to 800 calories an hour - with club members also set to cheer on encouragement during the 12-hour shift.

Weymouth Surf Life Saving Club is run completely by volunteers, including Fay, and is a lively community of parents, lifeguards and children who have a passion for the sea and keeping everyone safe in it.

The club was started by Alice Higgins and other local RNLI lifeguards, and is part of the Surf Life Saving GB national search and rescue charity.

Alice said: “The recent scenes we’ve witnessed of people filling the beaches, tombstoning and getting into trouble in the sea are a perfect illustration of just why water safety and education is more important than ever as we emerge from lockdown and people return to the coast.”

The club aims to create fitter and safer communities by the sea, with training usually taking place every Saturday May – September boosted by regular pool sessions throughout the winter.

There are sessions for children (8-11 years) and youth groups (12-17 years), as well as for adults working towards nationally and internationally recognised Surf Life Saving GB lifeguard qualifications.

More information about Weymouth Surf Life Saving Club can be found at www.facebook.com/weymouthslsc/ and www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/fayedgar-wslsc