A NEW club, set up to help the local community, is launching its first fundraiser with Swim4life at Turton Leisure Centre pool on Saturday, October 27.

Turton Trailblazers, launched as a spin off from Turton Rotary Club, is an informal and fun club which hopes to raise sponsorship for Special Care for Special Babies at the Neonatal Unit at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust.

Organisers are hoping to attract enough swimmers to complete 32 kilometres or 1,320 lengths of the pool, the equivalent of swimming the English Channel.

The event will be held between 7.30am and 2.30pm and entrants can swim as many lengths as they wish, which will be added to the collective total.

Turton Trailblazers co-ordinator Neil Wharmby said: “We are very excited about the launch of our new satellite group and feel our first event is a great way for the community to get involved and contribute to a worthwhile cause.

“We are appealing for swimmers to come forward and help us achieve our target. It doesn't matter whether you can swim one length or 100 lengths, it is about having fun and raising funds for charity at the same time.

“We are also hoping the event may attract new members to the Trailblazers. We are open to anyone who can give a little of their time to make a difference in our community.

“It operates as a separate entity to Turton Rotary Club and is very much a new style of Rotary.”

Anyone wishing to take part in the free event can simply visit the website www.turtontrailblazers.com, where they can enter and download a sponsorship form or ring Neil on 07912078300.