Swim Bristol Harbour

20/05/2024

Job done! 🏁 It's been worth it.

In 2020 I setup Swim Bristol Harbour to get swimming in our harbour. That chapter comes to an end now as the excellent team at All Aboard Bristol have been awarded the contract to run swimming sessions in the harbour!

In this journey I got a lot of stick: people were offended by our approach, offput by our illegal activities and I even had some abuse hurled at me about our antics.

I suspect my conduct and involvement wasnt great for business either.

But anything worth having is going to have some discomfort. In the case of all my activism I believe strongly in creating the world we want to live in, so the costs are fine with me.

I will now end my employment on my LInkedIn profile with Swim Bristol Harbour as that job is well and truly done!

Sessions will take place on weekend mornings throughout summer

20/02/2024

HELPERS WANTED!

The tender for operating the harbour swimming is now live. We are keen to form a not-for-profit "community interest company" to bid for the tender - operated and run by people of Bristol, for the people of Bristol, with all funds staying in our community.

To do this we need to form a group of awesome people to both volunteer and take paid professional roles. If you are interested please fill in this form to register your interest.

This is a form to be filled in by anyone who may be able to contribute to the not-for-profit "community interest company" that will tender to run the Bristol Harbour Swimming Concession. Note that many roles will need to be filled on a voluntary basis there will be certain safety-critical roles that...

30/09/2023

It was a great session this morning at the harbour. What a delight to have this in the city.

26/08/2023

Big news! Harbour Swimming continues!

06/05/2023

Sadly there was a fire at Underfall yard last night and todays swim is cancelled.

We hope that all people are fine and well, with no injuries. Additionally we hope that the beautiful vessels and amazing artisan businesses at Underfall Yard are ok.

Multiple fire engines are at the scene

29/04/2023

We got it! But let’s not mess it up.

Harbour swimming is permitted at specific times under supervisor. Swimming in the harbour outside these times jeopardises three years of hard work so don’t do it.

Instead book your tickets and get involved

29/04/2023

Big day today! Harbour swimming!

16/10/2022

What could Bristol learn from Copenhagen?

In this film activist Johnny Palmer explores Copenhagen with a view to share the best ideas back home in Bristol.

We all hope that the harbour authorities take on board what we learnt and work with us to support swimming in Bristol Harbour.

12/09/2022

Big News! Our documentary premiere is set for Sunday 16th October!

This explores what our European neighbours in Denmark have done with their harbour. Copenhagen Harbour was once a working dock with polluted water. It is now a popular swiming spot that does amazing things for their city.

We learn about them, see some amazing places, meet some awesome people and bring the ideas back to Bristol.

Please share this news and register for your free ticket here

https://forms.gle/4nvjtdwCMSjR576aA

14/08/2022

We had a great swim this morning, with a balloon backdrop.

Warm water, glowing sun, great people. An ideal addition to our already fantastic city.

With yachts passing through the Cumberland basin the harbour master asked we move out of the way, which we gladly obliged - a civilised and respectful interaction which was great to see

Let’s make this healthy, inclusive recreation a permanent feature of bristol

09/07/2022

Copenhagen is the world leader in urban swimming. Last week we sent a film crew to this amazing Danish city to explore what they have done to make swimming in their harbour work.

The film is being edited now and the premiere will be in August.

We hope that learning from our European neighbours will help us achieve our goals.