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Cold water swimmers mark International Women's Day

BBC Two women are standing close together wearing bight red hats on a beach. They are smiling and there are other people waking in the background.BBC
Hundreds of swimmers took part in the event at Sandbanks in Poole

Hundreds of people have braved the waters of the English Channel for a swim to celebrate International Women's Day.

The organisers of this year's Big Swim were hoping to set a new record, with 500 swimmers in Poole, Dorset, and another 500 in Brighton, Sussex, on Saturday.

It would be "an unforgettable tribute" to the "power of community, adventure and female resilience", they said.

The Dorset swim also featured an appearance from two RNLI boats with all-female crews to mark the day.

Wheelchair swimmers took part this year for the first time.

The Big Swim is the brainchild of Brighton-based adventurer Nicky Chisholm.

Hundreds of people are standing on a beach with their backs to the camera. They are wearing multi-coloured swimming robes and are facing the sea.
Swimmers were encouraged to wear warm and colourful clothing

Ahead of the swim, she said: "It's a mini adventure waiting to happen, this event will make your soul sing."

The event has doubled in size in 2025 by joining forces with outdoor adventure expert Rosie Tanner of Land and Wave in Dorset.

Ms Tanner said: "Land and Wave has long been campaigning to get more women working and playing in the outdoors, so we're delighted to be welcoming a huge Dorset contingent to The Big Swim."

The sea swim was not exclusively for women, anyone who supports the cause of gender equality was welcome, according to Ms Tanner and Ms Chisholm.

Giles Bristow, from Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), which partnered with the event, said the charity was hoping for clean water on the day so that "no-one will be put off this momentous swim".

Swimmers entered the water at 09:30 GMT in Sandbanks, Poole, and 11:30 in Brighton.

Participants were encouraged to wear warm and sparkly attire to create a "colourful spectacle".

RNLI/Dave Riley Two RNLI lifeboats sit side-by-side in the water. There are four crew member in the large boat and three in the other. They are wearing white helmets and are looking at the camera.RNLI/Dave Riley
Two Poole lifeboats were crewed entirely by women volunteers

Poole lifeboat station also marked the day by launching two boats crewed by women volunteers.

Lifeboat operations manager Helen Gilchrist said: "It was an incredibly proud moment this morning so see both our lifeboats launch on training and to see our team of women volunteers come together to mark International Women's Day.

"Although we've always had women on the crew, this is the first time we've been able to launch both lifeboats to mark this special occasion."

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