New shelter for sea swimmers 'a community effort'

A beach shelter for sea swimmers has been built "by the community for the community", one of the fundraisers behind the project has said.

Swimmers and staff from Ramsey Town Commissioners worked together on the hut and changing space, which sits next to the lifeboat station on South Promenade.

Margaret Webb from the Northern Dippers group said the space makes swimming "so much more comfortable when the weather is a bit iffy".

The lieutenant governor's wife Lady Phillipa Lorimer cut the ribbon at the official opening ceremony on Wednesday and joined swimmers in the sea for a dip afterwards.

Ms Webb said the group, that swims all-year-round, agreed they needed the facility in 2021 as there was "nowhere with any shelter on the South Beach to leave clothes or equipment".

She said the new space "protects us from the elements whatever time of year" and it "was becoming a place to join us for the peace, tranquillity and companionship sea swimming gives you".

"Everyone is welcome, it doesn't matter what you do or where you're from, here you're just a sea swimmer."

The shelter, which cost about £14,000, was funded in part by the commissioners, through a series of fundraising events such as pub quizzes, raffles and via donations from organisations across the island.

Ms Webb said people had also given up their time and resources to build it.

"It's really brought people together and we hope it's seen as a community facility for anyone using the beach and prom, and anyone getting in the sea," she said.

The local authority said Ramsey South Beach had seen "increasing use in recent years with a large number of sea dippers visiting daily alongside those who use the beach for water sports or exercise their dogs".

The project had been "a real community effort," it added.

Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]