Sussex veterinary team goes to extra lengths for charity swimming challenge
Team members from a West Sussex veterinary practice have gone in at the deep end to raise money for cancer charities.
Five team members from Anderson Abercromby Veterinary Referrals in Warnham, near Horsham, are taking part in a national Swimathon but have set themselves an additional challenge of clocking up extra lengths.
Swimathon is an annual national event that encourages individuals or groups to raise money for Cancer Research UK, Marie Curie and the Swimathon Foundation by swimming 5k. The Anderson Abercromby colleagues are raising the bar and will aiming to swim 40k across the month of March.
Practice manager Sarah Booth, veterinary nurses Sarah Walker and Charlie Spearing, nursing assistant Soley Austin and veterinary intern Eleanor Wheldon are all taking to the water to contribute to the total distance.
They are fitting the swimming around their busy roles at Anderson Abercromby Veterinary Referrals, which performs advanced orthopaedic surgery on pets from around the south, including joint repairs, total hip replacements and athroscopy. The practice is part of VetPartners, a group led by veterinary professionals which owns some of the UK and Europe’s most trusted and respected veterinary practices and associated animal healthcare businesses.
After keen swimmer Sarah Booth suggested the Swimathon to her colleagues, they kick-started their challenge with a dip in the lake in Buckfield Park on Reigate Heath, where the water was a chilly 8oC.
Sarah said: “I love swimming and try to go twice a week. It’s great exercise and it gives me headspace, as well as being the perfect way to relax after a busy day. I thought the Swimathon would be a great way to combine my passion for swimming while raising money for two very worthy charities and it’s a fun thing to achieve with colleagues, too. Everybody knows someone who has been affected by cancer and Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie do such incredible work to support people and their families, and we’re hoping to raise as much money as possible for them.”
Donations can be made here: https://jg.swimathon.org/fundraising/charliespearing-1769180008155?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio
The Anderson Abercromby team will continue fundraising throughout 2026 for good causes, and in May team members will be joining the 26-mile London MoonWalk, which takes place overnight from 16-17 May, in support of breast cancer charities.
The Anderson Abercromby team will continue fundraising throughout 2026 for good causes, and in May team members will be joining the 26-mile London MoonWalk, which takes place overnight from 16-17 May, in support of breast cancer charities.