Provost’s Summer Challenge

Following on from the success of the Provost’s Pentathlon last summer, East Dunbartonshire’s Civic Office is once again completing a challenge to raise money for charity in the lead up to the Kirkintilloch Canal Festival.

This year Provost Gillian Renwick and Depute Provost Colette McDiarmid will be undertaking more physical challenges around East Dunbartonshire to raise money for East Dunbartonshire Women’s Aid.

Provost Renwick said,

This year we will be walking, cycling, taking part in a pickleball tournament and again asking the community to join us in swimming 25,000 lengths of our three local swimming pools as part of a community swimathon. We totally smashed the target last year with 31,332 lengths completed, so we are hoping the community joins us again this year and helps us break the current record!”

The community swimathon will run from 1 to 29 August and those visiting the pools at the Allander, Leisuredrome and Kirkintilloch leisure centres will be able to pledge the lengths they are contributing on pledge sheets at the reception desks. Weekly totals will be shared with the final pool lengths achieved and importantly, total funds raised, at the Canal Festival on Saturday 31 August.

The Provost’s Summer Challenge activities are as follows:

• Community Swimathon (1-29 August) 

  A 25,000 length swimathon – calling on the community to contribute to the tally of lengths at our three local swimming pools. Regular updates as to how many lengths have been completed will be reported on our social media platforms.

•  

  Walk (7 August)

  A 9 mile walk which will start and end in Kirkintilloch, taking in part of the Join Muir Way. The Provost and Depute Provost will be joined by members of Walk, Run and Cycle East Dunbartonshire (WRCED) – a community group with over 100 members who are all keen on getting active in the area.

•  

  Pickleball Tournament (August – Date TBC)

  Joined by a number of elected members, the Provost and Depute Provost will compete in a mini pickleball tournament in one of East Dunbartonshire’s leisure centres. Pickleball involves players using a smooth faced paddle to hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball over a net. The sport resembles tennis and is becoming increasingly popular.

• Cycle (28 August)

  The Council’s Outdoor Education and Awards Officer, Alan Smith, will lead the Provost, Depute Provost and members of WRCED on a 18km cycle from Kirkintilloch Marina to Twechar. The group will pass the new outdoor centre, stop and climb Bar Hill, before cycling back to the Marina.