A GROUP of swimmers who tackled the Arran to Troon swim on Saturday have raised over £15,000 for the RNLI and the Jo Walters Trust.

The Jo Walters Trust was set up by Lucy Johnston her sister, who is took part in the challenge, in memory of Jo who died age 28 in a cycling accident.

The swimmers which include 12 women and one man are delighted they tackled the 16 mile swim successfully despite it taking slightly longer than expected due to the winds.

Speaking about the swim, Lucy said: " We did it. There was a wonderful reception on the beach though and the teams were extremely glad to see everyone there cheering them on. 

"What a wonderful day it was, all the swimmers were just thrilled to have made it over successfully, and the support we got from all of you watching our progress and sending us messages throughout the day was such a help - it was lovely to know there were so many people rooting for us. 

"The sponsorship donations were so motivating - we are delighted our swim has raised over £15,000 so far to split between the RNLI and the Jo Walters Trust, a phenomenal amount."