Ellie’s Big Swim!

Sponsor me in my full day swim, on the 24th of June at Crewe and Nantwich lifestyle centres, in aim to raise funds towards sending myself and other youth pilgrims to volunteer at Lourdes this summer 2024 as part of our communal journey in faith.

So, what is Lourdes? What do we do? Lourdes is an amazing place in France, where Saint Bernadette experienced a corporeal vision of the “Immaculate Conception” (the Virgin Mary), the visions were accompanied by the appearance of a spring of water, which has since been the source of 69 documented confirmed miracles!

Every year our Parish (St Marys) take a large group to Lourdes, including us youth volunteers, in hopes to grow our faith and maybe experience a miracle ourself!

Our job as youth volunteers involves early starts and late nights, surrounding full days of assisting our VIPs (pilgrims who need extra help getting around, and in their day to day tasks). Personally, this year I will be working partially in the hospital as a caregiver alongside assisting VIPs during the day. Youth volunteers are so important in keeping the pilgrimage running and putting smiles on faces. Without this help some people would not be able to experience Lourdes and its healing waters.

As someone who struggles with confidence and anxiety, Lourdes is somewhere I feel like I have a true purpose and I feel fulfilled and confident in my duty of care. I would love to raise funds towards sending my fellow youth volunteers to Lourdes, including myself, so they can experience this amazing sense of value too.

Support me in my Big Swim as the beginning of the youth journey to Lourdes this year! Any support is truly valued, and will help me to ‘just keep swimming’ all day.

Thank you