October 1st, 2026.



Seaford Mermaids, a community of over a thousand open water swimmers, co-run by a member of Newhaven RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew, held their 7th annual ‘Big Swim’ to raise funds for the RNLI last Saturday.

The Big Swim, which was first started in 2000 by Ruth Rose, has seen the Mermaids raise over £42,000 for the RNLI since it formed, and last Saturday’s swim, which saw members meet at The Buckle in Seaford, added over £500 to that total, while providing a great excuse for the Mermaids to get together. The swim was followed by hot drinks and cake on the beach.

Along with joining a passionate community, members get access to detailed weather and swim forecasts provided by the Mermaids to encourage safe swimming and support for the RNLI.

Emmeline, a RNLI volunteer and one of the Mermaids’ forecasters, explained: "Empowering our members to swim safely throughout the year is at the heart of the Mermaids’ ethos. We promote the joy of swimming as a group and raise awareness of the potential hazards in the sea, helping to educate our members through sharing knowledge of the tides, weather and sea conditions.

"It was great to see so many members come down to the beach last Saturday to enjoy a swim and raise vital funds for the RNLI."

To donate to the Mermaids' Big Swim 2026 visit: justgiving.com/campaign/mermaidscommunitybigswim2026

Last weekend also saw hundreds of visitors attend Newhaven RNLI’s annual open day, which this year gave visitors a taste of what happens during a callout, with immersive experience tours of the station. The hugely popular event raised over £3,000 through sales at the gift shop, refreshments and general donations.