A revolutionary new temporary swimming pool is being built in Oldham that will give hundreds of children the opportunity to learn to swim and develop their skills.

The ‘Pools in Schools’ programme will ensure that children will no longer have to travel to the pool, it will come to them.

The programme has been launched to coincide with the the World Short Course Championships in Manchester and will help ensure that local schoolchildren benefit from the major event coming to the region.

Core funding has been secured by Total Swimming from the Department for Children Schools and Families.

Oldham Community Trust and the Primary Healthcare Trust have also contributed funds, and have the support of Oldham local educational authority and the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) to deliver a comprehensive lesson programme to young people at South Chadderton School and the surrounding feeder primary schools. 

Total Swimming was established by Olympic bronze medallist, Steve Parry, to ensure that all children have the opportunity to learn to swim and enjoy good quality lessons.

He commented: “The pool is truly revolutionary; it is a rigid inflatable structure and can be moved around and set up very quickly. It’s small enough to fit into a school hall and we can teach a whole school on one visit rather than just one class at a time attending lessons.

“We’re excited to be launching the pool and the ‘Pools in Schools’ project at South Chaddeton School at the same time that the World Short Course Championships are taking place in Manchester.

“We’re also taking the project on the road around Britain and aim to teach 4000 children to learn to swim by the end of the year. Finding the facilities to meet the National Curriculum target of all children being able to swim 25 metres by the age of 12 is something schools are struggling to do. The Pools in Schools project aims to offer intensive swimming lessons, not only to the host school but also five others in the area.”

After a successful trial last year, the scheme won government backing with the DCFS (Department for Children, Families and Schools) providing a grant to run the programme across the country in 2008. Oldham was chosen to be the first location, owing to the enthusiasm and support from the local authorities and the ASA.

The pool will stay in place for a 6 week term, offering over 500 hours to schools and allowing all groups will have plenty of time to enjoy its benefits. Up to 28 children at a time can have lessons; separated into three teaching groups, each child will have maximum attention from the coaches and the best opportunity to improve their skills and achieve the National Curriculum target.

This exciting program also provides the opportunity for a focused after school programme involving many different community groups from PCT referrals, Adult and Child classes, disability classes, the over 50’s and minority groups. It will also offer the opportunity for Learn to Swim providers to improve their own skills and techniques, as the programme includes education and training sessions for the teachers.

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‘Pools in Schools’ was devised by Olympic bronze medallist swimmer Steve Parry and is supported by 22 other Olympic swimmers.

The World Short Course Championships take place in Manchester from 9th-13th April and will see the world’s best swimmers compete against each other ahead of the Beijing Olympic games. Britain is sending a large team, which is expected to win medals and challenge the record books.

For more information, contact Helen Gorman of Perfect Motion Sports Marketing on 07739 456644 / Helen.gorman@perfectmotion or Alex Scotcher of Total Swimming on 0844 800 4323 / alex.scotcher@totalswimming.co.uk

 

The Amateur Swimming Association is hosting an Everyday Swim event in the District of Easington this week as the sport looks to encourage more people to get active in the pool.

The project targets young people and recently distributed a booklet, sent to all schools in the area, that provides information on aquatic activities available at Peterlee Leisure Centre and vouchers to try the new activities at a reduced cost or for free.

Olympic bronze medallist Steve Parry will visit all of the six senior schools in the District of Easington on the 13th February to help promote the release of a booklet and swimming in general.

A large number of children from the six schools will benefits from the Olympian’s visit and will visit; Easington Community Science College, Seaham School of Technology, Dene Community School of Technology, Wellfield Community School, Shotton Hall Comprehensive School and St Bede's Catholic Comprehensive School

Parry will also give an awareness and motivational session in the evening at Peterlee Leisure Centre to all school swimming teachers within County Durham and Leisure Connection's
Swim School staff from Peterlee Leisure Centre.

This will focus around the activities that are already running and a number that are planned for half term. This includes mini-polo, fast swimming, flip and fun (diving), rookie lifeguard and synchronised swimming.

Easington Everyday Swim Coordinator, Duane Newton, believes that it’s an
amazing opportunity for the young people of the area to meet someone who has been successful in the sport.

“Giving people in the area the opportunity to meet an Olympic athlete will be fantastic and I hope that Steve’s passion and enthusiasm will encourage as many young people as possible to make a splash.”

Executive Member for Social Inclusion and Culture, District of Easington Council, Joan Freak believes it’s a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of the swimming opportunities available for the young people within the District and hopes that this will inspire all school children to ‘”have a go”.

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For further information contact ASA Media Assistant Stephanie West on 01509 632 236, 07917 876 459 or e-mail stephanie.west@swimming.org

The Amateur Swimming Association is the English National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Open Water, and Synchronised Swimming. It organises competition throughout England, establishes the Laws of the Sport and operates comprehensive certification and education programmes for Teachers, Coaches and Officials as well as its renowned Learn To Swim Awards scheme. The ASA supports 1,220 affiliated swimming clubs through a National/Regional/County structure. The ASA aims to ensure everybody has an opportunity to learn to swim.

Everyday Swim
Everyday Swim is a national pilot project, led by the Amateur Swimming Association and funded by Sport England and local partners, which aims to break down the barriers to swimming and provide best practice examples to be used across the country. Sport England has committed to invest £3m into Everyday Swim over a three-year period.

Everyday Swim pilots are taking place in Easington (County Durham), Islington (London), Kirklees (West Yorkshire), Lewisham (London), Suffolk, Telford & Wrekin, Wirral and Woking (Surrey). 

Olympic gold medallist Duncan Goodhew is the Everyday Swim Ambassador.

Sport England
Sport England is the strategic lead body for sport in England and invests both Lottery and Exchequer funding into sport. It aims to make England an active and successful sporting nation and to provide opportunities for people of all ages to start, to stay and to succeed in sport.
www.sportengland.org

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