COUNCILLORS took part in a sponsored swim at Hinksey Pool on Monday, in order to provide clean water to Oxford’s twin town of León in Nicaragua.
Organised by the Oxford León Association and Trust, Bob Price, Ed Turner, Mike Rowley, John Tanner and 12-year-old Lucy Tappin, the daughter of councillor Mary Clarkson, took part.
Trust chairwoman Jan Marshall said: “We did the sponsored swim in order to raise money for the community of León, Nicaragua, where day-to-day life could not be more different than Oxford.”
Nicaragua is the second poorest country in Latin America and so most of the work by the Oxford León Association and Trust focuses on raising funds for development projects in and near to León.
The charity works with locally based organisations to fund specific small-scale projects, including clean water installation, support for victims of domestic violence and a travelling library. Ms Marshall added: “We’ve been supporting León since 1986 and the work we’re involved in always revolves around developing the country and improving it for the future. We won’t know how much money we’ve raised from the sponsored swim for a couple of months but we’re hoping to raise £2,500 and that the money can be put towards improving the water system out there.”
* To donate, visit justgiving.com/OxfordLeonAssociation
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