BURNLEY Bobcats Swimming Club has had another successful year in and out of the pool.

For while swimmers got to compete at British finals, the club also held a fund-raising bike ride and barbecue to round of the season.

The Bobcats took a team of swimmers to the British Summer Championships and the English ASA Nationals at Ponds Forge International Centre in Sheffield.

Alice Fox, Miranda Bower, Dakota Ravetali, Hannah Raistrick, Benjamin Haver-Strong and Anna Ashworth competed in the two prestigious events and produced some fine performances in a top class field.

Between them, the club achieved nine top 20 finishes, five top 10 finishes while Bower, Ravetali and Havers-Strong all reached finals.

The club is delighted to see swimmers improve year-on-year progressing to national standard thanks to hard work from the youngsters and the coaching team lead by head coach Noel Horton.

But it is not about competing at that top level for at the Rotherham Metro meet, the Bobcats took a young team of swimmers to the A and B grade event which was again held at Ponds Forge.

The team primarily consisted of 26 youth and age group swimmers ranging from nine to 15-years-old.

The event saw many of the younger squad swimmers make the most of the opportunity to swim at the international venue and returned with a superb haul of medals - winning 25 golds, 11 silvers and 14 bronze between them.

On top of that great result - which accumulated in a 93 per cent personal best rate and numerous amount of Lancashire County and North West Regional qualification standard times - William Havers-Strong achieved the Top Boy Award.

Away from the pool, The Bobcats end of season barbecue was once again a huge success raising vital funds for the club.

The club thanked Burnley Leisure for hosting the event, Roaming Roosters and Warburtons for donating food, and all the parents and volunteers who organised the barbecue.

It raised a substantial amount of funds for the club and was well received by all swimmers, parents and leisure centre staff.

Parents of the swimmers also took part in an end of season century fund raising bike ride around the challenging countryside of North Lancashire.

Club official, Iain Hazell said: “All the riders enjoyed the day despite a few post ride aches, and again a superb sum of cash was achieved. The club would like to thank all those who took part.”

* Burnley Bobcats Swimming Club are always looking to take on new swimmers.

In particular they would like to hear from children who are at the very start of their swimming journey.

Any parents or guardians interested in there children joining contact burnleybobcats@gmail.com for more information.

The club is also always happy to hear from any local businesses and organisations in the area who would like to sponsor the club to help them to continually develop swimmers for the future.