SCHOOLGIRL Emilia Stus has swum a thousand lengths of the outdoor swimming pool in Wiveliscombe to help raise funds for an improvement project.

Wivey Pool is fund-raising for a £250,000 revamp which includes building a new pavilion to provide a warm area for swimmers and spectators, a room for children to learn vital lifesaving skills, a community space, and a training area for staff and lifeguards.

The ‘fit for the future’ project needs to raise £60,000 by next month for the volunteer committee to start applying for grants.

Emilia, aged 11, was part of a trio with Helen Rook and Charlotte Stus, who between them swam 1,927 lengths of the pool and raised nearly £320.

Individually, Emilia averaged 100 lengths a week as the team completed Wivey Pool’s ‘1927 challenge’ as part of the fund-raising for one of the oldest pools in Somerset, which opened in 1927.

Swimmers taking part have until August 31 to finish 1,927 lengths of the 27-metre pool, which equates to more than 31 miles, or 50,000 metres.

Anybody who takes part in the initiative receives a ‘1927 wristband’, and the committee is also encouraging those who might find it a challenge too far, to swim any other distance they choose, such as 192.7 or 19.27 lengths.

• The committee has also congratulated Simon Crew, one of Wivey Pool’s original WiLDSquad, which organises lane swimming and training for long-distance swimmers.

Mr Crew was was part of a three-person relay team to swim the Eddystone Lighthouse to Plymouth Hoe challenge, only the second team ever to do so since it was started more than 100 years ago.

The team completed the 14-mile open water feat in nine hours and 19 minutes.

Anybody who still wants to support the achievement of Emilia, Helen, and Charlotte can visit their online fund-raising page.