Oxford City councillors will take part in the annual sponsored-swim to raise money to tackle poverty in Oxford’s twin city of Leon in Nicaragua, in central America.
The swim is on Friday 5 July at Hinksey open-air pool, Abingdon Road OX1 4RP from 4pm until 7pm, with an official opening at 5pm.
Deputy Lord Mayor, Altaf Khan and Oxford East MP, Anneliese Dodds, will open the event. Oxford City councillors taking part in the swim are Cllr Mike Rowley, Cllr Mark Lygo, Cllr Sian Taylor and honorary Alderman and former Council leader, Bob Price.
Last year’s sponsored swim raised £4,000 for clean-water projects in and around Leon. Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in Latin America. The Oxford Leon Association last year welcomed two musicians from Leon to Oxford.
“With the political upheavals in Nicaragua it is even more important that Oxford strengthens its links with the people of Leon”, said Cllr John Tanner, chair of the Oxford-Leon Association. “This year we are raising funds for social and cultural projects in and around the university city of Leon”.
Oxford has been twinned with Leon since 1986.
Leon is one of eight cities twinned with Oxford. The others are Leiden, Bonn, Grenoble, Perm, Wroclaw, Padua and Ramallah in Palestine.
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