A hearty band of Merewether Seals will brave the early morning conditions yet again but, this weekend, they’re doing something a little different.
The outfit consists of about 35 “awesome” local men who come together every Saturday to share their love of swimming, as well as a sense of community.
However, from 7am on 19 October, they’ll swap the usual congenial banter for fierce competition as they participate in the annual Swim Off and Lap-A-Thon at Merewether Baths.
The event marks the close to the group’s six-week awareness and fundraising campaign for Newcastle Domestic and Family Violence support service, Jenny’s Place.
Coordinator Mark Pepperall said the Seals saw a need to step up and start the tough conversations required to create social change around the issue of domestic and family violence.
“We’re just a bunch of local blokes who wanted to help,” he explained.
“Too often the news headlines report another fatality.
“So, it’s very clear that domestic and family violence is impacting women and children right across Australia.
“We wanted to lend our support to Jenny’s Place who is in the thick of it, helping those in our community.”
Jenny’s Place CEO Dawn Walker praised the Merewether Seals.
“It is incredibly heartening to see a male-only group actively driving conversation and change,” she said.
“These guys have earned my respect because they have been so generous in their support of Jenny’s Place… and in championing the women and children of their community.
“Their dedication to speaking up and speaking out against violence is inspirational.
“This is a difficult subject and an even tougher conversation for males.
“But, we know that when they start talking to one another about domestic and family violence, when men stand together to publicly prioritise the safety of women and children, and when they challenge each other to define what masculinity really means – this is when we’ll finally see a shift in attitudes and in the incidents of gendered violence in our community.”
So far, the Merewether Seals’ six-week campaign has netted $7,000 for Jenny’s Place.
It’s also created quite a buzz along the Merewether beachfront promenade with regular BBQs, a toenail painting stall and a Sip and Support event.
Donations to the Swim Off and Lap-A-Thon can be made at the club’s fundraiser for Jenny’s Place.
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