ONE of the team at Washington Leisure Centre has helped raise more than £1000 for Diabetes UK.
Simon Pattison, a customer service adviser at both Washington Leisure Centre and Sunderland’s Raich Carter Centre – both managed by Everyone Active on behalf of Sunderland City Council – decided to support the charity after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2024.
With drastic lifestyle and dietary changes, he was able to reverse the symptoms. A former lifeguard, he found swimming helped keep his blood sugar in check.
His Raich Carter Centre colleague, sales manager Brenda Gladstone, encouraged him to start swimming more following his diagnosis.
They both decided to sign up for Diabetes UK’s Swim22 challenge, which takes place each year from March 22-June 22 and gives participants the opportunity to swim between 11, 22 and 44 miles whenever and wherever they like between the two dates.
What began as a 22-mile challenge ended up becoming 51.1-miles for Simon by the closing date, while Brenda completed 29.3-miles – together raising a total of £1171.80 for the charity
“I need to give a shout out to all the staff and customers from both centres who encouraged me to do this challenge but also everyone who encouraged me to get back into swimming,” Simon said.
“The challenge has been part of a lifestyle change for me and has been great for my mental health too. I continue to swim at least a mile up to three times a week as a result.”
