A GRUELLING challenge saw young swimmers raise £1,000 for charity this week.

In the hope of supporting good causes across Darlington, students from Carmel College swapped their uniforms for swimming costumes on Wednesday.

Members of the Carmel Swimming Club took to the water at Darlington’s Dolphin Centre in a bid to swim 516 lengths – one for every day the leisure centre has been open.

Thirty students took part in the charity challenge and were thrilled to smash their target, managing to swim a total of 1640 lengths, or 25 miles.

With the generous support of their friends and family, the young swimmers were pleased to raise £1,000 for good causes as a result of their latest fundraising efforts.

After drying off and enjoying hot chocolate and muffins at the Dolphin Centre, the students met Darlington's mayor, Cllr Jan Taylor, and handed a cheque to representatives from St Teresa's Hospice.

The money raised will go towards supporting the work of the hospice, which relies on donations to support terminally ill people and their families across Darlington, South Durham and North Yorkshire.