Monday, January 2 was the first outing in 2023 for the Bluetits swimming group in Camber, gathered round the lifeguard station on the beach. The sun was shining but the water was certainly cold.
Vicky Aitkenhead from Kent Wildlife Trust explained how the group had started. She had been working on a Romney Marsh project called Down to Earth, funded by Sport England, which was designed to engage women with physical activity and the natural environment. It was a two-year project including all sorts of activities including walking, swimming, kayaking, nature tots, wood workshops, outdoor yoga and nature conservation.
"We did everything possible to get women engaged in being in their natural environment and getting physical," she said. "The project ended over a year ago but we are all still going out and swimming together, so in terms of a legacy for that project, it is wonderful. It is a very sociable group and offers a safe environment to connect with nature. I started working on this project as part of my job but having recently moved to the area to work, it gave me the opportunity to meet all these amazing women who have become friends."
Louisa Simmons oversees the admin of the local Bluetits Facebook page and agreed that it helped ladies to get active and outdoors and to engage in a group where they felt safe. She also had been part of Down to Earth: “Many of us wanted to carry on so I started this group at Camber Sands. We operate here mostly but have ventured to other stretches of water and we are under the umbrella of the Bluetits family which means that we have access to helpful hints about keeping safe as we swim.
We all love it, we have a laugh, we look out for each other and eat cake and drink hot chocolate. It is very important at Camber to understand what the tides are doing and working together keeps us safe. It is good to have a spotter on dry land looking out for anyone who is getting too cold or into difficulties. We started at Camber nine months ago and we have just over one hundred members now. Membership is quite transient because we have a lot of visitors who come here but are part of the Bluetits family elsewhere. I recently went to Cornwall for a week and joined the Bluetits down there. There is always a group that you can find when travelling and being with a group is the safest way. We all love it.’
Kandii Blakk’s job after the swim was to cut the cake. She explained that she had had mental health issues and that joining the group two winters ago had lifted her spirits. "I pushed myself to try this cold-water swimming thinking ‘I am just going to try it.’ I haven’t looked back since and friends and family have all said it has made a tremendous difference to my outlook on life. To me it is like medicine; I call it vitamin sea. I love the fact that nobody cares what you look like or where you come from: you receive a warm welcome and it is like being part of big family."
The Bluetits movement was started in Pembrokeshire in 2014 by Sian Richardson. She had taken part in marathons, ultramarathons, swims and multi-sport events for many years and wanted a sport that would be less of a strain on her joints and wallet. She started to extend her swimming into the winter months and as the water got colder and colder she found herself whooping and squealing rather loudly as she enjoyed the swimming so much.
Others heard her and began to join her. The Bluetits’ mission is to create a confident, capable community through cold-water swimming and dipping. It also provides a social group of like-minded people who want to keep physically and mentally fit.
There are now around 100,000 Bluetits worldwide. All are joined together by a love of swimming, adventure, and the sense of community that brings. It is not an official club: there are no membership fees and anyone is welcome at any of the informal swims arranged in the groups.
If anyone is interested in joining the Camber Sands Bluetits group please join by using the Facebook page. All areas have a Facebook page and you can join wherever you wish to swim.
