Take on the Sands swimming challenge this November. Swim 2K, 5K or 10K - you decide.
Give the greatest gift you can and help support anyone affected by pregnancy and baby loss. Sign up today to support Sands and help save babies’ lives.
Sign up! Get your free t-shirt, swim cap and fundraising pack here:
Sign up
Why?
One in two of us, or somebody we know, has experienced the loss of a pregnancy or death of a baby. Too often, we don’t understand why. That’s why we need to take action. Now.
Join the team swimming together, using our combined power to inspire change and prevent babies from dying. Our swims won't go unnoticed, and the sponsorship we collect will lead to action – saving babies’ lives and improving maternity safety and bereavement care through research, training and campaigning.
A length in your local swimming pool is probably 25 meters (or 50m if you’re lucky and have an Olympic pool!). That means you need to do 80 lengths for 2k, 200 lengths for 5k or 400 lengths for 10k in November.
Join our Strava Club
Join our Facebook Group
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Resources:
Download these resources to help you on your way:
Digital tracker - download a digital tracker to record your kilometres here (there's one in your pack also!)
Sponsorship form - download this form to collect cash donations. You can then pay these onto your fundraising page and send us a photo/scan of the form to allow us to claim Gift Aid.
FAQs:
You may have questions about the challenge. If you need to speak to a member of our team, you can email swim@sands.org.uk – it may take us a couple of days to get back to you. In the meantime, you can read our FAQs below.
How do I sign up?
To sign up to the challenge, you can register here.
Then head over to Facebook or Strava and join our challenge community where you can share your story, your swims and ask any questions.
I don’t have Facebook but want to take part. How do I do this?
No problem, you don't need Facebook to join our challenge! Simply fill out this registration form.
Is there an entry fee or fundraising target?
There is no entry fee for this challenge. We do however ask you to fundraise as part of your challenge. Sands fundraising pages are the easiest way to raise money. Yours will be activated automatically when you register for your t-shirt and swimming cap pack. And then it’s really easy to share your page with friends and family.
When and where is this challenge?
This is a virtual swimming challenge for everyone and starts on 1st November. You can do this in your local pool or in the sea, but be sure to take precautions so that you are safe whilst completing your challenge. You can do this together with your friends and family.
Do I have to raise money online or can I do it a different way?
Absolutely. You can collect sponsorship in any way you like. If you’d like a sponsorship form, you can download one here. And please don't worry about filling in your serial number - we will do that for you.
After the challenge ends, do scan and email this to us at swim@sands.org.uk so we claim any gift aid. If you’re not able to scan or send us a clear photograph, drop us an email anyway and we can let you know where to send your form to via the post.
You can either add your cash donations as a self donation to your online fundraising page or you can add them via the Sands website by clicking here. Make sure to add in the description that this is your sponsorship donations for your Swim 5k in November challenge.
Please do not send cash in the post.
My t-shirt doesn't fit / I ordered a different size. Can you change it?
Of course. Please email shop@shop-sands.org.uk to let us know what size you received, and what size you need. We'll then send a new t-shirt with an envelope to return the other.
How do I get my swimming pack?
We'll send you your Sands T-shirt and swimming cap after you share your address in the online registration form.
When will my swimming cap and t-shirt arrive?
Swimming caps and t-shirts will be posted from mid-October. The packs take up to 10 working days to arrive and you will receive an email once it has been dispatched to you. It takes 10 working days from the dispatch email. We've got lots to send out and are only a small team so please be patient with us whilst you wait for yours.
My family want to do the challenge with me. Can they have a swimming pack?
No problem! Simply ask them to fill out the registration form and we will send them a tracker, t-shirt and a swimming cap.
If they're not fundraising, you can buy additional swimming caps and t-shirts on our shop.
How do I track how far I've swam?
A length in your local swimming pool is probably 25 meters (or 50m if you’re lucky and have an Olympic pool!). That means you need to do 80 lengths for 2k, 200 lengths for 5k or 400 lengths for 10k in November.
Keep track of how many lengths you do on your swim and write the number down on your tracker once you're out of the pool.
If you're swimming in the sea or a lake, it's a little trickier. You'll need a waterproof sports watch to track how far you swim. You can get these from around £20 online.
Remember you can log your KMs on your fundraising page for this challenge, follow these steps:
1. Log in to your Sands account by clicking the person icon in the top right of the screen here
2. Click the person icon in the top right again
3. Click My Fundraising
4. Click My Fitness Activity
5. Scroll down to Add Activity and type in how many KMs you've done and any other details
6. Click Save Changes
Can I do a shorter/longer/earlier/later challenge?
Yes! Every swim you do will help Sands. So do this challenge in whatever way works best for you. Every stroke is very much appreciated!
Do I have to prove I’ve completed the challenge?
You don’t need to prove you’ve completed the challenge– we trust you! You can post videos, pictures, and updates on your fundraising page, in the Facebook group, on Strava or on your social media and tag it with #SwimSandsNovember. Sharing updates and your milestone badges is also a great way to show those who have sponsored you that you’re committed to completing the challenge.
Can I fundraise as part of a team with my friends and family?
Yes you can! You can do a joint Team Fundraising page with your friends and family. The best way to do this is to all register for the challenge here, and then one of you create a Team by going to your Dashboard and select Create a Team.
Top tip: Edit the ‘Title’ and ‘About’ section on your page to add your team name and all your team member names.
How do I pay in my fundraising?
If you’ve collected offline fundraising, the easiest way to pay this to Sands if by donating to your online fundraising page. All donations from your fundraising page will automatically transfer to Sands.
You can also donate on our website. Make sure to say that your money is for your Sands Swim November challenge so that we can make sure it is added to your total.
If you’re not able to donate this way, then drop us an email to swim@sands.org.uk and we can discuss other ways of getting the donation to us.
Is there a fundraising target?
We have no minimum or maximum amount that we would like you to raise. From our point of view, no matter how much money you raise, it will go towards supporting bereaved families across the UK, and for that we are so grateful.
When and where is the challenge taking place?
The swimming challenge is virtual swimming challenge throughout the month of November. You can break down the 2k, 5k or 10k distance over the 30 days in November. Or you can plan long swims over the weekends. You can swim in your local pool, the sea or lakes near by. Just always ensure you swim safely.
You can register for your free Sands t-shirt and fundraising pack by clicking on this link.
My business/employer want to donate/match fund my fundraising. How do they do this?
Wonderful news, that your employer would like to match fund you! The process varies a little between companies. If you can pop us an email over to swim@sands.org.uk, we'll be more than happy to provide them with any further information they might need. Thank you so much!
Will I get a reward?
Everyone who raises over £175 will get a Sands November Swimming Challenge limited edition swim badge and certificate after the challenge ends. You don't need to do anything to get this. If we need any extra details from you, we'll be in touch.
If you move house, please let us know by emailing swim@sands.org.uk.