A County Durham charity has organised a sunset swim to fundraise for a rare childhood cancer.
The Team Luke Foundation has organised the event to help raise awareness of the condition and fundraise to assist scientists in diving deeper into the causes of neuroblastoma.
The event will take place at Ellerton Lake, near Northallerton, on September 27, 2025, hosting over 25 swimmers.
This year will be the third year the charity has held the event, and swimmers will have the option of a 1km or 2km distance, while illuminating the lake with lights. The event begins at dusk and finishes when it is dark.
"All the swimmers are given illuminated tow floats, and the idea is to complete the swim while the sun is setting and then they finish in total darkness and we end up with this really pretty swim of lights," said Team Luke Foundation chairman and Luke's dad, Mark Bell.
"We've been doing it for a few years now, and it's going really well."
The Team Luke Foundation was set up in memory of Luke Bell, from Darlington, who passed away on December 23, 2018, from high-risk neuroblastoma, at just eight years old.
The foundation was established in his name with the goal of raising awareness and funds for research, to prevent other families from suffering the same tragedy.
"As part of his treatment, he was accepted onto a clinical trial in Barcelona for which we had to raise £125,000, which we did. Sadly, Luke passed away before he was able to go to Barcelona, so as part of the grieving process we decided to set up a legacy for Luke to make a difference in the world of kid's cancer.
"We're really keen to support other projects and raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of children's cancer, because even a small delay impacts survival rates. That's why we do what we do. It's actually just been six years since we were formally recognised as a registered charity."
"My dad was really into open water swimming when he was younger, and competed for Great Britain," said Mark.
"He saw one of these open water swims in Copenhagen I think it was, and we thought we'd just give it a crack."
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The event is insured and safety provision are in place, with supervisors nearby on paddleboards.
"We have marshals on the water, we have plenty of support on the side of the lake, and we have tea and coffee for after, so it's well ran," said Mark.
"Our main priority is keeping swimmers safe and keeping everybody on the side of the lake safe, and we've had plenty of people supporting it which is great. Swimmers get a medal and a giftbag, and it's a great evening."
To enter the swim visit https://www.tickettailor.com/events/teamlukefoundation/1608965.
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