Sanctuary Swimmers initiative set to come to Kerry

Kerry is among the locations where new open sea swimming groups are to be set up.

Sanctuary Swimmers is a first-of-its kind community integration initiative between Swim Ireland and Sanctuary Runners.

Sanctuary Runners was set up by Glenbeigh native, Graham Clifford, to break down social barriers between migrants and locals; it now has over 10,000 members in Ireland.

Sanctuary Swimmers groups will be made up of locals, asylum seekers, refugees, and Swim Ireland instructors, with a specifically designed programme to learn how to swim in the open sea.

A pilot programme ran in Cork last autumn, but the initiative will now expand this year to include at least six locations, including Kerry.