SWIMMERS dipped into their pockets to raise £8,200 for the Thamesdown Hydrotherapy Pool.

To help mark its 25th anniversary in 2004, a fund was set up with the aim of raising £250,000 over five years.

Events culminated in a sponsored swimathon at the pool.

And the funds raised by the swimming marathon have just been counted up.

Manager Paul Charlwood, 53, said: "It has been a phenomenal year for fundraising. People in Swindon are so generous."

Some of the cash will be used to buy a £40,000 replacement spa bath, which helps relax and stimulate muscles.

Since it opened in 1979, more than 750,000 people have benefited from the pool in Jefferies Avenue, which caters for people suffering from a range of disabilities including cerebral palsy and brain damage.

The centre spends £100,000 a year on running costs.