Each year, East Dorset Open Water Swimming Club (EDOWSC) hosts the Seahorse Swim, raising funds for the Seahorse Trust and the National Trust. A portion of the proceeds is also donated to our Club – RLSS Poole Lifeguard, in recognition of our key role in coordinating safety cover, providing buoys and equipment, and setting up the course on the day.
This year, our Club received a generous £2,500 donation from EDOWSC and we are proud to share this with our incredible partners: Southbourne Surf Lifesaving Club; Bournemouth Lifeguard Corps and RLSS Boscombe Lifeguards all of whom provided essential support from volunteers on safety boats to paddlers and shore walkers, ensuring the event runs smoothly and safely.
We also extend heartfelt thanks to members of EDOWSC and Poole Harbour Canoe Club, who joined the safety team and helped make the event possible.
Altogether, 43 dedicated individuals formed the safety team, led by RLSS Poole Lifeguard. Without the combined efforts of all these clubs, the event simply couldn’t happen.
A massive thank you to every single volunteer for your commitment, teamwork, and professionalism!
This year, we were fortunate to have some new parents volunteer and come along to assist with the safety team for their first time. The text below sums up their experiences. We will leave you to gauge whether the enjoyed it or not 🙂
“This weekend, I volunteered as a shore walker marshal at the Seahorse Swim – my first time supporting a swimming event, and what an experience it was!
The highlights from the event were 236 swimmers took to the sea at 10:30am, swimmers wore different coloured swim caps – Yellow = 2km (1 loop) | Orange = 3.8km (2 loops) and the huge cheer for the final swimmers after 2 hours of effort! It was beautifully organised, and I loved being part of something so unique. Next time, I’ll bring binoculars and be ready to answer all the curious questions from beachgoers! Would I do it again? Absolutely – as a marshal, not a swimmer!”
“Volunteering as part of the safety cover team at this year’s Seahorse Swim was an incredibly rewarding and exciting experience. I had the unique role of “shore walking” — patrolling the shoreline and keeping a watchful eye on the swimmers from land. With over 235 swimmers taking part, the energy and enthusiasm were infectious from the very start. The event was beautifully organised, with clear communication and a strong sense of community among volunteers and participants alike. As safety cover, our job was to ensure that everyone in the water was accounted for and supported, and it was inspiring to see how smoothly everything ran thanks to the teamwork and preparation behind the scenes.
Watching such a large group of swimmers take to the open water was both exhilarating and humbling. The conditions were favourable, and the swimmers’ determination and joy were evident throughout. It was a privilege to play a part in helping keep everyone safe while they challenged themselves and enjoyed the event.
Overall, the Seahorse Swim was a fantastic experience — not just for the swimmers, but for those of us supporting from the side-lines. I’d highly recommend volunteering to anyone who wants to be part of a vibrant, uplifting community event that celebrates open water swimming and the spirit of togetherness.”
The Wonderful Safety Team…
| RLSS Poole Lifeguard Members | Partnering Club Members |
| Alison Morton Alison Roberts Amanda Wise-Hall Andy Keene Brian Pemberton Clare Southam Daisy McMahon Darren Morton David Cooper David Perch Emma Travers Felix Morton Gary Clay Julie Larner Lara Moore Mark Shakles Riley Hayes Sadie Morton Samuel Travers Scarlett-Lily Williams Simon Moore Sophie Turner Summer Southam Tim Harris Tim Travers Tom McMahon | Bournemouth Lifeguard Corps Emily Sym John Humphreys EDOWSC Eamon Staunton Tim Mills Poole Harbour Canoe Club Ben Amesbury Vanessa Kimber RLSS Boscombe Lifeguard Chris Grant Emmer MacDermott James Clarke Kaden Chalke Natalie Stansby Southbourne SLSC Debra Clench Gail Bennett Georgina Devereux Helena Eflerova Stefan du Plooy Tom Quay |