Take Three! The British Summer Time Lido Challenge Is Open For Entries!

They say the best things happen in threes, so we’re even more excited than usual to launch the third year of our British Summer Time Lido Challenge. Join us to see how many outdoor swim spots you can visit and push yourself to find more adventure in your everyday.

This year, the challenge runs from Sunday, March 30, 2024 to Sunday, October 26 — the day the clocks go back. It doesn’t matter when you join the challenge — all swims from March 30 count towards your total. Entry to the challenge costs just £19.99, which includes:

• Up to six cloth sew-on badges, sent directly to UK addresses;
• Three bonus challenges — details will be revealed along the way;
• Regular inspiration newsletters, packed with insights, advice, and tips.

For those returning to the challenge for a second or third year, there’s also the option to keep adding to last year’s total, with a special reward when you hit 50, 100, and 150 swim locations.

Here’s Everything You Need To Know…

How Many Badges Will I Receive?

It depends on how much you swim! Badges are awarded for the total number of unique outdoor swimming locations you visit. They are awarded once you visit five, ten and twenty locations.

The challenge lasts for seven months, so even if you only visit one new spot a month, you’ll still get a badge! There will also be three ‘surprise’ bonus challenges announced along the way, so you can grab up to six in total.

How Will You Know What Badges To Send Me?

After you sign up, you’ll be sent a challenge confirmation email within a few days. This is a manual process, so do bear with us.

This will include details of how to submit the swims you’ve completed. It’s a simple Google Form, where you just tell us where and when you swam there — and share a picture if you have one!

It’s an honesty challenge, so we won’t be checking up on you or ringing the lidos, don’t worry!

Who Made These Beautiful Badges?

They’re so great, aren’t they?! They were designed by the lovely Josie Grant, a North Devon-based illustrator and printmaker. You can see and buy more of her work here.

How Often Are Badges Sent Out?

We’ll package up and send off badges every other month (May, July, October) so you’ll never have to wait too long to get your hands on your spoils.

We’ll make sure to send our monthly email just beforehand, so you remember to submit your swims.

Where Can I Swim? What Counts?

You can swim anywhere you like, as long as it’s manmade, publicly accessible, and outdoors. This means there is a huge range of places you could visit — you could count your local tidal pool, a traditional lido, or even an open water venue in a dock or reservoir.

The aim of the challenge is to see as many new and interesting swim spots as possible, so we’d actively encourage you to seek out diversity. If you’d like some inspiration, you can see our big list of UK swim spots here and our map version here.

Why Should I Sign Up?

There are more than 170 incredible outdoor swimming spots across the UK and each one is a unique and incredible experience. We’ve had the best time over the past few years getting in the water wherever we can, and we hope this challenge can inspire you to take on some of your own adventures.

It’s also a tough time for many outdoor pools and we hope that this challenge can help in a small way, by getting more people in the water, talking about it, and telling their friends!

What’s In The Monthly Email?

Our monthly email is your chance to connect with other like-minded swimmers and get inspiration for your next adventure. Expect swim guides, interviews with experts, top tips, and, of course, beautiful pictures of lidos.

What If I’m A Returning Swimmer?

Firstly, thank you so much for coming back! We had so much these last few years and we can’t wait to do it again. Your clock resets this year for the six main cloth badges — it doesn’t matter if you’ve swum in a spot last year, it’s about reaching as many unique spots as you can this summer.

However, if you are returning, we will keep track of your total unique swim spots across the years. There will be a special badge for anyone who reaches 50, 100, and 150 swim spots.

I’m Based Outside Of The UK, Can I Take Part Still?

Potentially! If you’d like to take part from outside the UK, just drop us a message at jem@allthelidos.co.uk and we can calculate the correct shipping costs for you. The same rules apply — swimming spots must be publicly accessible and outdoors and you’ll need to check in each month. The only difference is that we’ll send all your badges in one go to keep costs as low as possible for you!

My Questions Aren’t Answered Here — How Can I Get In Touch?

You can get in touch by emailing jem@allthelidos.co.uk or dropping us a message on Instagram.