Charity Beach Pilates & Swim Event Raises Over £350 For Chill Dorset

Family-run Bridge Health & Wellbeing in Christchurch, Dorset, is delighted to have helped raise over £350 for Chill Dorset from their Beach Pilates and Sea Dip fundraising event on Avon Beach this July.

Everyone was invited to a Pilates class on the beach, led by Louise O’Connell, co-founder and Pilates teacher at Bridge Health & Wellbeing, followed by a sea dip led by Jo Cox, lead volunteer at Chill Dorset. The class was completely free and open to all abilities. All donations went to Chill Dorset, which is based at Avon Beach.

Chill Dorset is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing sea swimming courses as a form of therapy for adults with long-term mental or physical health conditions, including anxiety, depression and cancer. Trained coaches offer structured and supportive gentle courses to introduce people to the therapeutic benefits of spending time in the sea.

Bridge Health & Wellbeing has supported Chill Dorset for the past three years. Louise O’Connell, Pilates teacher and co-founder of Bridge Health & Wellbeing, said, “We were keen to support a small, local charity which is making a difference to people right here in Christchurch. Chill operates from Avon Beach, which is just minutes from our clinic.

This was the second year we have held our charity beach pilates and sea dip event, and we were incredibly lucky that the sun shone again. It was perfect conditions for Pilates on the beach with a light breeze and blue sky. Everyone enjoyed the class and a lovely sea dip to cool off afterwards.”

Jo Cox, experienced cold water swimmer and volunteer Coach at Chill, said, “We are incredibly grateful to Bridge & Health Wellbeing for supporting our charity. We rely on donations from local companies, other charities, and organisations like Active Dorset to make a difference in the lives of local people. We were so lucky with the weather again this year, and everyone really enjoyed the event. Between the 2025 event and this year, we have raised over £1,000, which is amazing. The money helps us make a life-changing difference for local people.”