SWIMMING heroes Mark Foster and Duncan Goodhew are encouraging people in Dorset to make a splash for charity.

The Team GB stars are supporting Swimathon, the world's biggest annual fundraising swim, to raise vital funds for Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie.

Taking place from March 29 to 31, people of all ages and abilities are encouraged to sign up for events at Bournemouth’s Rossmore Leisure Centre and Everyone Active in Poole. If the registered pools are too far away swimmers can take part at a time and place to suit them with MySwimathon.

Foster, the former world, European and Commonwealth champion, who set eight world records during his career, is supporting the campaign alongside Olympic gold medalist Duncan Goodhew, president of Swimathon.

Duncan said: “It has been a real joy to see Swimathon develop and mature into the great event it is today. Swimathon gives everyone a chance to get active with friends and family, whilst doing some good at the same time. I am so proud that Swimathon gives so many people the chance to enjoy the water, get swimming and set themselves a challenge.”

Designed intentionally so people of all swimming abilities can participate, there are a variety of distances available as individual challenges – 400m, 1.5k, 2.5k, 5k – while the 1.5k and 5k distances are also available as team challenges for family, friends or colleagues. New to 2019 is the Triple 5k challenge, which is designed to test experienced swimmers, challenging them to swim 5k, three times.

Last year, Swimathon raised £2.1million, and is aiming to raise further vital funds this time around. Since the event started 33 years ago, more than 700,000 swimmers have dived into more than 1,000 different pools across the UK, raising in excess of £50million for different charities.

Visit swimathon.org to sign up or find out more. Get 25 per cent off the sign-up fee until Sunday, January 27 using discount code SOUTHWEST25.