This year has seen people come up with increasingly innovative ideas for fundraising. With countless charities and worthy causes asking the public to donate whatever they can, it can be difficult to choose where your money is best placed. Luckily for The Rivers Trust, one small business owner has found a way to raise money for The Rivers Trust that is completely free, and it doesn’t involve doing any laps of your garden. The Great British River Swim is a new platform launched by second-hand outdoor clothing retailer icelandgreenlandantarctica.co.uk, which will donate 1p to The Rivers Trust for every 100m swum! Seizing the opportunities presented by the increasing popularity of Strava, an app used to track sporting activity ranging from swimming to Nordic skiing, Founder and brain behind the fundraiser, Olivier Jumeau, is using what he calls the “gamification of sports” to raise money for important causes. “It’s a whole online community of like-minded athletes participating in the sports that they love” he says, “and coming from an outdoor sports background, the people that I spend time with in the outdoors tend to be the people that really care about the planet and the environment…Essentially, this is a whole new world of online fundraising”. Adding to this sense of community is the company’s charitable ethos. Each month, three charities are selected to receive a cut of its profits, a plan which has previously benefitted a range of causes, from afforestation projects in Madagascar, to rewilding flora and fauna in the Scottish Highlands. The Great British River Swim is a new kind of initiative for icelandgreenlandantarctica, but it could be one of the most successful. For our followers who love swimming, either out in the wild or the comfort of a pool, donating to The Rivers Trust through this platform costs nothing. All proceeds come from icelandgreenlandantarctica, so the only thing you need do is sign up and get swimming! So whether you’re a hardy soul who enjoys a river swim whatever the weather, or someone who prefers to do a few lengths and then hop into a hot sauna, you can come #TogetherForRivers and swim to save our waterways now.

How do I sign up?

All you need to do is link your Strava profile and log your swims. Sign up to the site using your email address and the money will automatically be donated to The Rivers Trust whenever you log a swim on Strava.

More about the business:

icelandgreenlandantarctica.co.uk sells second-hand clothing from popular outdoor brands such as Patagonia and The North Face. As well as a place to buy quality goods at reasonable prices, the site serves as an online community, publishing blogs and features on aspects of outdoor sports and environmental issues. To find out more visit: www.icelandgreenlandantarctica.co.uk

Swimming in rivers:

Swimming in rivers will always carry a risk, so please make sure you are taking all the necessary steps to stay safe. In addition, there is always a risk of sewage pollution in rivers, so check out our interactive map to locate sewage outfalls in your area.