Statement as of Wednesday 8th September 2010:

Following the postponement of the British Gas Great North Swim at the weekend, MedEquip4Kids was extremely disappointed to now learn that the event has unfortunately been cancelled for 2010.

As you should by now know, the water in Lake Windermere was not safe to swim in due to toxic algae and, following the advice from the Environment Agency, South Lakeland District Council and the Health Protection Agency, it was postponed.

The decision has now been made to cancel the event entirely for this year as there is too much doubt about when the water will be safe to swim in. With each passing week, the water and air temperatures will also be getting cooler as autumn arrives, so it will soon be too cold.

We know how disappointed you must be, but your welfare is the number one priority so we hope you understand why the British Gas Great North Swim team had to make such a decision.

The next question is - what happens next? We've got two options for you:

• Defer your entry to the 2011 British Gas Great North Swim at no extra cost.
• A full refund of your 2010 British Gas Great North Swim entry fee (£20)

YOU MUST CONTACT US TO CONFIRM WHICH OPTION YOU WOULD PREFER. IF WE DO NOT HEAR FROM YOU, WE WILL ASSUME YOU DO NOT WANT A REFUND OR TO DEFER YOUR PLACE.

Please contact Rachel on 0161 798 1600 or you can email her.

Thank you for your support, co-operation and understanding and we look forward to hearing from you soon.

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