TWO young sisters and a team of visually impaired swimmers were among those who took the plunge for charity.


Nineteen people of all ages and abilities, including schoolchildren and pensioners, made their way to Ryde's Waterside Pool on Saturday evening to take part in the Swimathon 2017.
Similar events were held around the country to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care.
Swimmers could take part individually or as a team, and swim between one and three miles - the equivalent of sixty to 200 lengths.
The fastest swimmer at the Waterside event was Lindsay Shenton, 59, who completed the full 200 lengths in one hour and 27 minutes.
Sisters Katie and Charlotte Andrews, aged nine and ten, respectively, swam 60 lengths each, while trio Rachael Bunker, Carole Read and Sylvia Stockdale, all of whom are visually impaired, swam 100 lengths between them.
Jenny Ball, who teaches swimming classes at the pool and helped organise the event, said: "It was four years ago the Swimathon was last held at the Waterside. We decided to bring it back because several of the people I teach wanted to take part."
Congratulating the swimmers on their achievement, Jenny added: "Some couldn't swim at all before, and now they can swim 100 lengths."
More than 500,000 people have taken part in the Swimathon since it was founded 30 years ago, raising £46 million for good causes.