Our Fund-Raising Swim for León is less than 6 weeks away – on Wednesday 2 July 2025, 4 pm – 7 pm at our usual lovely pool – Hinksey Heated Outdoor Pool, Abingdon Road, Oxford OX1 4RP.  We are very grateful to Serco and the staff at Hinksey Pool for their hospitality. 

We are raising funds for NECAT: “The Nicaragua Education Culture and Arts Trust, a UK registered charity, raises funds for sponsorship of after-school clubs and other educational projects and for the relief of poverty in impoverished communities in Leon, Nicaragua.”  We are also raising funds to provide clean water to families in a rural area near León, whose water is contaminated by arsenic, naturally occurring in the volcanic rock in the area.  

This is our most important fund-raising event of the year!  Do come and join us and raise much needed funds for León!  We really need you!  León needs our support more than ever in these challenging times, and we want to keep this link with a city in the global south going!  We can learn from each other and enjoy the Latin American culture!. 

To register, simply email: jen_houston@hotmail.com. 

 You can ask for donations to go to our JustGiving site, and/or attach your own page to our JustGiving site:  www.justgiving.com/OxfordLeonAssociation

You can swim between 4 pm and 7 pm.  Thanks to the Lord Mayor of Oxford, Councillor Louise Upton, who will “officially” open the Swim at 5 pm.

Please note that if the above time and date are not convenient you can still take part in your own time and location between 2 and 16 July, or just make a donation.

Half of the money raised will go to NECAT – Nicaragua Education Culture Arts Trust and half to build a rainwater harvesting tank for a rural community near León, so that they can have access to clean water.

We are on Facebook: www.facebook.com/OxfordLeonLink. 

Whether you have taken part in lots of Sponsored Swims and will be trying to equal your personal best, or whether it will be your first time taking part, whatever you raise small or large will make a big difference to poor children in León and help to keep the NECAT centre going!  It will be a fun and enjoyable occasion!  Refreshments will be provided for swimmers and helpers.  Let’s hope that the sun shines!

Here is a sponsorship form for you to print off, if this is more convenient for you: