I’m really excited about joining Mental Health Swims as a Fundraising volunteer. I have over thirteen years’ experience of successful fundraising experience across a number of charities working in Scotland including Macmillan Cancer Support and Crisis. I currently work for Scottish Mountain Rescue as the Head of Development supporting Scottish Mountain Rescue and the 24 member teams to raise vital funds to keep their services running.

Two years ago I developed severe back pain and recovery has been a long journey with lots of ups and downs. As a person who travelled a lot and was very active this has at times been very tough. I decided to try wild swimming a few months ago for the mental and physical health benefits, although I am not very good with cold water (even in summer the water is chilly in Scotland!) and not a particularly strong swimmer I really love it. The freedom of swimming in beautiful places surrounded by nature and sharing that experience with likeminded people is incredible and it’s really helped me. I wanted to volunteer for Mental Health Swims because I wanted to help other people to find the benefits of being part of the inclusive and welcoming community that I have found in outdoor swimming.

I am delighted to become a volunteer Swim Host Mentor for MHS.

I started the process to become a Swim Host in February 2021 and have since hosted a swim pretty much every 2-3 weeks throughout the year.  We have met in all weathers but it doesn’t stop the smiles and laughter.

I found Wild Swimming in August 2020 as a way to get a swim fix because indoor pools were closed. Now I prefer swimming outdoors amongst nature. I am blessed to have stunning locations right on my door step as well as the ability to swim in so many beautiful places across Scotland.

Wild Swimming quickly became my Me time, time to recharge my batteries. I was lucky enough to have had lovely people that supported my plunge into Wild Swimming who were friendly, accepting and welcoming. They gave me advice on kit and entry points for swims as well as restorative chat and laughter.

When I became a swim host I said my reason for applying was to try and provide the same kind of support to others either trying it for the first time or wanting to become more confident in their skills. I would now like to support  others to become MHS Swim Hosts so they can support others.

I look forward to supporting others in sharing the joy of Wild Swimming.

clare@mentalhealthswims.co.uk

Hi I’m Hayley and moving to the Kent Coast from East London in 2015, the sea quickly became part of the way I take care of myself. Being in it, next to it, on it! My movements metabolised in the cold water and helped process that which often felt stuck, and  able to start sharing this in community with Mental Health Swims in Sept 2020 has been an experience of joy and collective care.

I’m an organiser and a Yoga and Movement Teacher. I teach a broad range of folks from regular weekly groups right here in our new hometown, and online with people from all over the world, professional athletes/dancers and performers, along with young people in therapeutic settings, alongside mental health professionals. I care deeply about who is in the spaces I hold as well as who is not, and I prioritise accessibility (as a practice of care). And locating barriers to seeking out healing, whether in the water or on the mat. 

I’m also a mother to a young child and like many of you have my own mental health challenges, and I’ve often felt under resourced in seeking to care for myself, whether it’s financially, emotionally or energetically. And that’s why I’m here, in a world where so much is demanded of us, taken from us, there’s something magic in the gathering of folks, taking up space in our natural environment and sharing/supporting in the care of one another. I’m here to help resource and support more of you in your training to becoming swim hosts to keep this current of care moving!

As a Swim Host Mentor I’m looking forward to assisting new Swim Hosts in any way I can.

hayley@mentalhealthswims.co.uk

Hello, my name’s Mike and I am immersed in a wide and wonderful flow of various swimming activities: with others and for myself.

I have a private endurance sports business where I support swimmers and others of all ambitions and abilities, from first time novices to those going long; I’m Swim Coach in Residence at the Outdoor Swimming Society; and I also teach disabled children to swim through the charity Level Water.

At Shoreham-by-sea, where I live three minutes by flip flop to the beach, I co-host a super friendly Mental Health Swim.  There is a lovely calming warmth in the connections our dippers seem to find.

I’m also a mentor to coaches and have a big interest in confidence and self-belief.  I am really happy to be alongside other hosts in the south as a supportive mentor, to share our experiences and learn from each other.

mike@mentalhealthswims.co.uk

Hi I’m Suzanne.  I have always loved the sea but I first started actually going into the sea in about 2015 when I camped near the beach during the summer holidays with my children. It started out as splashing around in the surf and bobbing about in the waves and gradually evolved into shallow water swimming along the shoreline. I noticed that the ‘feel good’ factor stayed with me for days and my anxiety levels reduced. The summer holidays ended but my trips to the beach didn’t. In my free time I would visit different local beaches at different times, study the waves, how the currents moved, the way the moon affected the tides and the ‘mood’ of the sea on different days. Whether I was paddling, wave jumping, swimming or simply watching and getting lost in its hypnotic rhythm, the sea became a part of my life.

The great influx of newcomers to the sea during Covid-19 meant I could share my love of the sea with others. I set up a women’s group for sea dipping and then discovered Mental Health Swims and trained to be a host at Seaham Slope Beach in County Durham in June 2021. I’m thoroughly enjoying the role of introducing new people to the sea, promoting the health benefits and creating an inclusive and welcoming space where people can talk openly however they are feeling. Some people come for company and the group experience, some for cold water therapy and others to have a laugh in the waves. You’re welcome whether you turn up in ‘all the gear’ or simply in shorts and t-shirt with a towel. The sea is for everyone.

I’m delighted to have the opportunity to take my journey even further as a Swim Host Mentor. Being a swim host is such a rewarding role; fresh air and the sea, bringing people together, a supportive community, comprehensive training and an enthusiastic and caring organisation. I’m excited to encourage and support more people through the process of training to be a host. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done!

suzanne@mentalhealthswims.co.uk

Nina is an Edinburgh based writer, podcast host, barista, baker and single mother.  She is an ex-mental health professional and had her own lived experience of mental health issues. As an enthusiastic all year-round outdoor sea swimmer she was so passionate about the benefits,  she made a mini-series of episodes for her podcast, Being On The Inside, on wild swimming health and healing.  When not in the water she aspires to be singing to a bigger audience than her dog and is a keen jumpsuit enthusiast. She is passionate about diversity, equality, and inclusion in access to outdoor swimming.

We talk a lot at Mental Health Swims about being welcoming to everyone yet we still have a predominantly white feed. Together with Nina we will be working on making sure that is no longer the case. We want to feel welcoming to all and empower everybody – all skin colours, backgrounds, ages, body shapes, abilities, genders and sexualities to join our swims. We want to create a community for those who experience exclusion or marginalisation.

@beingontheinside

Hi there, I’m Katie. I am a Wellbeing Coach and workshop facilitator, a keen cold water swimmer and carefree dancer. I bring Lived Experience of mental health challenges to my work, simply meaning I share an understanding of how hard it can be to make changes when you’re not feeling at your best.

I am stoked to be working alongside Rachel and the team at Mental Health Swims, to make sure all of the fabulous volunteer hosts look after their own wellbeing too.

@katiemacleodpeters

I started volunteering as a swim host with Mental Health Swims in early 2022 and now run monthly dips with co-host Kelly at Roseisle beach in Moray, Scotland. 

I’ve always loved swims in the sea and the creatures that call it home so I was absolutely delighted to become Scotland Conservation Officer for the Marine Conservation Society back in 2015. I help folks get involved in our beach cleaning and litter surveying project, Beachwatch. I then use this data to call for new laws from the Scottish Government to stop litter getting into our amazing ocean and washing up on our precious beaches. I’m honoured to have been asked to become an Environmental Hero with Mental Health Swims and hope to help groups across Scotland, and the rest of the UK, further connect to nature and take action to celebrate, protect and recover our incredible ocean.