A group of children from local swimming group, Puddle Ducks, have raised £2,509.45 for Cots for Tots, the charity supporting sick and premature babies at Bristol’s Special Care Baby Unit at St Michael’s Hospital.

Puddle Ducks provide classes locally at The Centurion Hotel in Midsomer Norton.

This year, over 1,000 children joined in to help raise money in aid of Cots for Tots. Puddle Ducks’ top five fundraisers were Amelie, Ava, Edie, Ivy and Sophia, who have all spent time in Bristol’s Special Care Baby Unit at St Michael’s Hospital. The little swimmers managed to raise a staggering £840 between them.

Every autumn, swim school Puddle Ducks hold a week long charity event where children raise money by attending their swimming lessons dressed in their pyjamas and are taught valuable water safety and survival skills. Before the event, Puddle Ducks asked their customers to vote for which charity they would like to raise money for, and this year, Cots for Tots was chosen.

Cots for Tots fundraises for life-saving equipment and new facilities to transform the lives of babies from Bristol and across the UK. The charity also offers free accommodation for families of babies in the Special Care Unit. Cots for Tots House is located across the road from St Michael’s Hospital, ensuring families can remain close to their children throughout their stay in hospital.

Sarah Austin, from Puddle Ducks, explained: “Our Charity PJ Week is a great way of teaching our students important lifesaving skills in a fun and relaxed environment, whilst raising money for a great local cause.

“We were delighted to fundraise for Cots for Tots, who do fantastic work and we will continue to support them.

“I would like to congratulate our star fundraiser, Amelie, and all of the children and parents who have helped us raise a record £2,509.45.”

Grace Glennie-Smith, Corporate Fundraiser of Cots for Tots commented: “We are so grateful to all the children who got their pyjamas on in the pool at Puddle Ducks to help raise funds for Cots for Tots. The total raised is incredible and will be used to support our appeal to buy two state-of-the-art ventilators for the Special Care Baby Unit at St Michael’s Hospital, helping save the lives of sick babies from across Bristol, Bath and the whole of the South West of England.”

Puddle Ducks provides award-winning swimming programmes for 0–10 year-olds. Taught by experts, they focus on teaching independent swimming in a nurturing environment with individually tailored activities to suit all abilities. Classes take place across Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Wiltshire.