Sheffield International Venues (SIV) has achieved the highest level of recognition under the Amateur Swimming Association’s (ASA) Aquamark scheme.

Aquamark is a national benchmark awarded by the ASA to organisations demonstrating best practice and holders of the scheme’s Premier mark are seen as national role models.

The Aquamark assessment process includes a combination of self-assessment, mystery visits to watch lessons and formal visits from the ASA to inspect programme operation, staffing, customer relations and policy and strategy.

Over the last few years SIV has developed its swimming lesson programme and it now delivers a quality learn to swim programme through the Kellogg’s ASA Awards Scheme. Around 120,000 lessons each year for almost 2,500 children are delivered across its three sites, Concord Sports Centre, Hillsborough Leisure Centre and Ponds Forge International Sports Centre.

Concord Sports Centre General Manager Ian Hamlet, who oversaw the Aquamark assessment process, is extremely proud of the achievement.

“We’ve always been confident that we’re providing top class swimming lessons and now we’ve got the proof,” he said. “We’re delighted to have received the Aquamark accreditation and to be judged of Premier status. Learning to swim is not just a life skill but a life saving skill so it’s vitally important that the sessions are of the highest quality.”

“We’ve spent a lot of time and effort working to ensure that our swimming lesson programmes are as thorough as possible and are delivered efficiently and effectively and we’re pleased that this investment has been acknowledged.”

The Aquamark assessor said that the staff at the three SIV venues were a credit to the organisation and that she had “no hesitation in recommending SIV be awarded the Aquamark Premier Award”.

For further information please visit www.sivltd.com

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For more information contact ASA Media Assistant Gemma Field on 01509 632262, 07917 726431 or email gemma.field@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 1,600 affiliated swimming clubs through a National/Regional/County structure. The ASA aims to ensure everybody has an opportunity to learn to swim.

The Kellogg’s ASA Awards Scheme is the most successful awards scheme in British sport and issues around two million awards every year to swimmers all around the world.

For more information about ASA Awards please see www.swimming.org