Thousands raised by Longridge golf captain Linda after swimming 22 miles for diabetes research

Every year, the captains at Longridge Golf Club have an official charity which they raise money for on a regular basis through their year in office.

For current Lady Captain Linda Hacking, who took up the role in January after a year as vice captain, a charity close to her heart has been the cause of choice, nominating DiabetesUK.

The charity was chosen with Linda’s 24-year-old daughter Rose having lived with the condition since the age of two.

But charity drives at the club have hit a snag this year as a result of the awful winter weather.

Roger Stamp, from Longridge Golf Club, said: “The weather has been awful this year. It’s really affected fund-raising with all the rain chucking down.”

To add more vital funds to the charity pot, Linda – who works at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – entered the charity’s Swim22 challenge.

The challenge sees swimmers replicate the 22 mile swimming distance of the English Channel; something Linda managed to fit round her busy work and golf commitments in just six weeks.

She currently stands fourth for fund-raising on the national swimming leader-board, having raised £1,473 on her JustGiving page from 67 donations.

She is also 66th overall for lengths completed at a staggering 1,600.

Linda’s daughter Rose, who is from Longridge, said: “I’m incredibly proud of her. She’s done so well, and it means a lot that she’s done so much to help other families like ours that have been affected by diabetes.”

Roger added: “Everyone has been really supportive of her for a charity that is perhaps not as well known as others.

“It’s a charity that perhaps doesn’t have a high profile. Hopefully Linda gives it the platform it deserves.

“All credit to her.”

• Donations can be made to Linda’s DiabetesUK fund by visiting www.justgiving.com/fundraising/linda-hacking