Torbay vicar's sea swimming lent challenge for homeless group

Father Gary Deighton is the vicar at Goodrington and Collaton St Mary

A vicar in Torbay is sea swimming daily for Lent to support a homeless charity for young people.

Father Gary Deighton completed his first sea swim for Ash Wednesday.

He is doing it to support Nightstop - an initiative from the YMCA where people in the community help young people facing homelessness.

Father Deighton said he thought the swim would make a "big difference" financially and hopefully find new hosts.

"It raises publicity, if we could get just a few more families and a bit more money to support it, we need another £35,000 that would be great," he said.

Father Gary was joined in the water by supporters for his first swim of Lent

Father Deighton has previously raised money for homeless charities by sleeping rough throughout Lent.

Speaking of his swimming challenge he said: "I have no wild swimming experience, I hate the cold and I don't like being in the sea."

The first swim took place at Goodrington Beach in Paignton.

"We've got people here who've taken advantage of the service and it's not gone too far to say it saved their lives," Father Deighton explained.

Ryan Lewis Thomas has been using the Nightstop service which he said was "going well"

Ryan Lewis Thomas, aged 20, has received support from the team and a host family.

"My support worker suggested I went into Nightstop which I believe has been going quite well.

"If I wasn't with Nightstop I would really be sleeping anywhere outside, on the streets or even a car park," he explained.

Maria Goodwin, chief executive of the YMCA South Devon, said hosts provided a bed and a hot meal

Maria Goodwin, chief executive of the YMCA South Devon, said the scheme worked by recruiting and training host families to give young people a bed for the night and a hot meal.

"In the background we are working to find accommodation for them or suitable places to move onto," she said.

"We desperately need more hosts, sometimes we are turning people away at the moment."