Charity plunge at Todmorden reservoir cancelled in insurance row (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Charity plunge at Todmorden reservoir cancelled in insurance row

3:10pm Sunday 8th January 2012 in News By Peter Magill, Chief reporter

A CHARITY plunge into icy waters near the Lancashire-Yorkshire border was been cancelled after organisers ran into problems with insurance.

An 11th-hour hitch with public liability cover put paid to Todmorden Swimming Club’s annual New Year fundraiser at Lee Dam yesterday.

But organisers have vowed that the traditional dip, which has been staged at the Lumbutts site for more than 50 years, will go ahead again.

Committee member Deborah Lorimer said: “We went to our usual insurers initially and they said that it was okay.

“But when we rang them up in the week the firm had changed hands and the new owners didn’t want to cover us.

“We will still be going ahead with it, either later in the year or probably next New Year. We will be looking at teaming up with a larger organisation who already have insurance cover so we don’t get caught out again.”

In previous years the event has been a major fundraiser for the club, which meets at the town’s leisure centre, with a 50-50 sponsorship split between their funds and the swimmer’s own chosen charity.

Several hardy swimmers even regularly attempt the feat in fancy dress - and are rewarded with a hot soup at the nearby Top Brink pub.

The more serious competitiors usually battle it out for men’s, women’s, boy’s and girl’s trophies.

An insurance hitch also put paid to the swim in 2008, when organisers were told that their usual Amateur Swimming Association policy would not cover the event.