STAFF at The Foundry are going to great lengths to support those facing cancer...by effectively swimming the River Clyde.

This year’s ‘Swim It’ challenge for MacMillan Cancer Support runs throughout October and tasks participants with swimming the length of the River Thames, Loch Ness or the Channel.

But staff at the Barrhead leisure centre have put a local stroke on the feat, by challenging themselves to collectively swim 7,040 lengths of the pool - equivalent to the length of the west of Scotland’s renowned waterway.

Taking part in the challenge, employee Kirsty Macintosh admits it has been difficult but has relished being thrown in the deep end. 

She said: “The MacMillan charity set out the challenge for the length of the River Thames but we thought we’d make it more local.

“We’re raising the money and doing the swimming as a collective total, so when one of us goes for a swim we just log in and add whatever we swam that day.

“A lot of it is being done while we’re working or just whenever we have time. It’s become a good teambuilding exercise too.

“It is a very hard challenge but we will do it. We will make the challenge if it kills us. We will make it and hopefully raise as much money as possible.”

The team are raising the funds for MacMillan through donations at The Foundry, as well as sponsor forms. They’ve also set up a fundraising page where you can track their progress and donate direct to the charity.

MacMillan is the registered charity for East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure (ERCL) and encourages lots of local fundraising drives in the area. 

Kirsty is hoping more people can donate and help a cause that helps so many people locally.

She added: “It’s the registered charity for ERCL as well as the libraries. We have a

MacMillan drop-in area at The Foundry for people to come and receive more information where we also provide help and support to people suffering with cancer, as well as their friends and family.

“Everybody’s life has been touched with cancer at some point so we know it’s a cause that means so much to lots of people.

“With the ‘Swim It’ challenge we just thought it was a nice link in with staff and customers here, it helps staff morale and brings everyone together.

“As well as our swim, customers can use the MacMillan hotdesk at the front of The Foundry to join in.There’s lots of information there and we have additional staff employed by MacMillan who support customers too.”

To donate visit swimit.macmillan.org.uk/fundraising/barrhead-foundry