The site features everything you might need to know about swimming, from what to expect at your local leisure centre through to how to keep kids safe at the seaside.

As the official home to British Swimming, the site also covers the latest news on Britain’s top athletes, as well as being the website for the ASA – the English governing body for swimming – and the Institute of Swimming, the education provider for all aquatic courses.

Have you visited the site yet? If not why not take a look on Monday 29th March, on the first day of the British Gas Swimming Championships 2010. There will be web chats with a top name from the sport and recorded highlights packages after each day’s racing. There’s even a “hook a duck” competition where you could win signed swimming goodies.

Please feel free to forward this news to your friends, family or colleagues … basically anyone who you think might be interested in aquatics!

During the past few months, we have been running the website you are viewing now in parallel with the new site to allow visitors to get used to the new structure and to allow information to be migrated.

But from Monday 29th March the site you are viewing now will no longer be accessible.

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Kirklees Education in West Yorkshire are celebrating the results of their Key Stage 2 attainment figures for their School Swimming programme, which is supported by the government’s national Top Up swimming fund and more recently the School Swimming Improvement Programme.

The yearly school swimming programme offered to all schools within the area for 7-11 year olds has seen outstanding improvements in the pupil’s swimming achievements.  For example, one school has seen an increase of 70% in the Key Stage 2 attainment figure, which means children should be able to swim unaided over a distance of at least 25 metres.  Another is boasting a 100% pass rate in their school swimming programme through offering extra lessons every week, which is a 38% increase on the statistics recorded before Top Up swimming was introduced.

Swimming and water safety are statutory activities at Key Stage 2 (unless completed at Key Stage 1) and the Top Up Programme of swimming lessons to support the weakest swimmers in primary schools was introduced in 2006 to help them achieve the 25 metre goal.  In the Kirklees area this is provided through extra lessons led by ASA qualified swimming teachers with school staff on hand to help and encourage pupils both within and outside the curriculum.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) £8.25 million funding through the School Swimming Improvement Programme has further assisted these pupils to develop general water confidence and water safety skills through a national initiative co-ordinated by the ASA’s team of School Swimming Advisors.

Sue Barlow, ASA School Swimming Curriculum Advisor, is delighted at the success of the programme in Kirklees.  She said, “This is great news, I am so pleased that through the support of the ASA and the government funding we have been able to help so many children in the Kirklees area to learn to swim.  The vast majority of the improvements in these schools are due to the additional funding they have received, but the hard work, extra training and commitment of the PE Advisor and swimming staff should be recognised. They have done so much to provide the correct environment so that the children feel fully supported and encouraged”.

Janet Thorpe is the Kirklees PE School Improvement Officer who is very proud of the achievements of the schools in the area. 

“The more pro-active schools have definitely seen the best results in offering these extra lessons to their non swimmers and it is wonderful to know that the pupils are benefiting from this type of support.  It all runs by working in partnership together - the swimming teachers take a lead on identifying schools and individual pupils for support and how it can be implemented, and the schools are keen to improve their standards and welcome suggestions and extra opportunities for their pupils.” 

She added, “We also work closely with local leisure provider Kirklees Active Leisure to run half term learn to swim schemes, where pupils identified by the swimming teachers receive personalised invitations.  Additionally we provide Parent information sheets to explain the school swimming sessions that are running and to detail what is available during the summer holidays.  We all feel these initiatives have had a significant impact upon the overall school swimming standards across Kirklees.”

Schools Minister Iain Wright said: “Swimming lessons are really important.  They teach children how to be safe and confident in the water, and they help keep them fit and healthy.  Swimming is also a great way to enjoy the Government's 2012 Legacy offer to all children of five hours of high-quality PE and sport a week.   I'd like to congratulate the children, teachers and parents of Kirklees on their own swimming success story."
 
Minister for Sport Gerry Sutcliffe said: “It is great that young people in Kirklees have made such a splash and are swimming so strongly. They are not the only ones - across England nearly seven million free swims have been enjoyed by those aged 16 and under since the Government’s £140 million free swimming initiative was launched in April. Well done to Kirklees - like so many other local authorities, they are playing a key part in making sure London 2012 delivers a lasting legacy of getting people, young and old, to be more active.” 

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For more information contact the ASA PR Officer Claire Freeman on 01509 632265 or email claire.freeman@swimming.org

PE and Sport Strategy for Young People (PESSYP)
The Top Up and School Swimming Improvement Programmes are funded jointly by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) through the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People (PESSYP). Launched in January 2008, the PESSYP expresses the Government’s commitment to improve the quantity and quality of PE and sport undertaken by young people aged 5-19 in England. PESSYP builds on the success of the PE, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) Strategy for 5-16 year olds, which went live in April 2003. It will see an investment of £755 million over three years to deliver the work announced by the Prime Minister in July 2007, and is now set out in Public Service Agreement target 22.

About the ASA
The ASA 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.

About Kellogg’s
The Kellogg Company was founded in 1906 and today produces 40 different cereals including popular brands such as Special K, Cornflakes and Coco Pops, and 56 different snacks including brands such as Nutri-Grain and Special K snacks. Kellogg’s has been a partner of the ASA and British Swimming for 13 years, sponsoring the Kellogg’s ASA Awards and enabling over 50,000 people to take up swimming as part of an active lifestyle.

About British Gas
British Gas is Britain's favourite domestic energy supplier. As well as providing gas and electricity, it also installs and maintains central heating and gas appliances in millions of homes throughout the country. British Gas is very proud to be the principal partner of British Swimming and home countries: The ASA, Scottish Swimming and Swim Wales. British Gas is supporting the team's quest for medals on the world and Olympic stage - and giving as many people as possible the opportunity to learn to swim and use swimming as part of a healthy lifestyle. British Gas wants to ensure local pools remain at the heart of our communities. By using its expertise, it can help them reduce costs by being more energy efficient and safeguard the facilities for this and future generations. For more information visit www.britishgas.co.uk/swimming

About Speedo®
The world’s leading swimwear brand, Speedo® is passionate about life in and around the water, creating revolutionary new technologies, designs and innovations. Supporting swimming from grass-roots through to elite level, including the phenomenal Michael Phelps, Speedo® is owned by Speedo Holdings B.V and distributed in over 170 countries around the world; SPEEDO, the ARROW device, FASTSKIN, LZR PULSE, SPEEDO ENDURANCE, FLIPTURNS, FASTSKINFSII, SPEEDO BIOFUSE, SWYM and LZR RACER are registered trademarks of Speedo Holdings B.V. The LZR RACER suit has worldwide design rights and patents pending.

Ben Bradshaw, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, has seen for himself the difference the Government’s Free Swimming initiative is making to under 16s in one of the most deprived areas of the country.

Bradshaw visited Gloucester’s GL1 Leisure Centre yesterday following on from the announcement earlier this week that more than 10m swims have been taken across England since the initiative launched in April.
 
Gloucester initially joined the scheme in April for the over 60s only but in June also decided to offer free swims to those aged 16 and under. The centre has also been working closely with the ASA to deliver Free Swimming lessons to those who may not have accessed the pool otherwise.

So far over 27,000 free swims have been enjoyed and free swimming has been particularly popular with children and young people in Gloucester. The GL1 Leisure Centre has seen the number of those aged 16 and under swimming triple and this week reached the mark of having 8,000 children taking part in the scheme.

Bradshaw said: “It’s really great they have had nearly 30,000 free swims already in just the first six months of the scheme. And of the under 16s, nearly of half of those are people who had not swum here before. Some of these are children who may have been hanging around the streets but are now being active and having fun.”

GL1 have backed up the scheme with a comprehensive database which means they can map exactly who has used the offer of free swimming, where they have travelled from and how many times they use the pool.

This has highlighted 42 per cent of young people now swimming at the pool had never done so before the scheme was launched locally in June. It has also shown the percentage of children visiting from the surrounding areas, most of which are within the highest 10 per cent of deprivation in the country.

GL1 have also successfully harnessed new technology by allowing people to sign up to the scheme online (users need to register before they can access free swimming) and they have found 37 per cent of people used the web to join in.

GL1’s Chief Executive Steve Elway is delighted with the response from his team and the success of the scheme. But he is also realistic that there is a shortfall in funding between the government’s cash and the cost to the centre that must be addressed. 

He explained: “After six months we have been able to actually quantify the funding gap and in reality that amounts to £40,000. We are prepared to contribute to that but we will need partners, and a number of partners, to breach that funding for the second year of the scheme.”

Additional funding has been made available via government, and has been administered by the ASA, to provide Free Swimming lessons so the initiative also becomes available to those who have never learnt to swim. So far GL1 has already held lessons for a number of  groups including Asian and Traveller communities and youth groups, such as children who are not engaged in school.

Alan Green, the ASA’s County Swimming Co-ordinator for Gloucestershire, said: “GL1 is a fantastic facility and they have embraced Free Swimming and worked extremely hard to make it work, which is why the figures are where they are today.

“The centre’s staff work proactively with me and have been really responsive to the suggestions from the ASA. They have delivered some great ‘quick fix’ lessons and they are now looking to embrace further funding to target more hard to reach groups.” 

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Government's free swimming scheme.
The latest free swimming statistics are available by CLICKING HERE

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For more information contact the ASA PR Manager Sharon Rose on 01509 632262, 07876 652318 or email sharon.rose@swimming.org

The ASA 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.

About British Gas
British Gas is Britain's favourite domestic energy supplier. As well as providing gas and electricity, it also installs and maintains central heating and gas appliances in millions of homes throughout the country. British Gas is very proud to be the principal partner of British Swimming and home countries: The ASA, Scottish Swimming and Swim Wales. British Gas is supporting the team's quest for medals on the world and Olympic stage - and giving as many people as possible the opportunity to learn to swim and use swimming as part of a healthy lifestyle. British Gas wants to ensure local pools remain at the heart of our communities. By using its expertise, it can help them reduce costs by being more energy efficient and safeguard the facilities for this and future generations. For more information visit www.britishgas.co.uk/swimming

About Kellogg's
The Kellogg Company was founded in 1906 and today produces 40 different cereals including popular brands such as Special K, Cornflakes and Coco Pops, and 56 different snacks including brands such as Nutri-Grain and Special K snacks. Kellogg's has been a partner of the ASA and British Swimming for 13 years, sponsoring the Kellogg's ASA Awards and enabling over 50,000 people to take up swimming as part of an active lifestyle.

About Speedo®
The world’s leading swimwear brand, Speedo® is passionate about life in and around the water, creating revolutionary new technologies, designs and innovations. Supporting swimming from grass-roots through to elite level, including the phenomenal Michael Phelps, Speedo® is owned by Speedo Holdings B.V and distributed in over 170 countries around the world; SPEEDO, the ARROW device, FASTSKIN, LZR PULSE, SPEEDO ENDURANCE, FLIPTURNS, FASTSKINFSII, SPEEDO BIOFUSE, SWYM and LZR RACER are registered trademarks of Speedo Holdings B.V. The LZR RACER suit has worldwide design rights and patents pending.

New figures show that youngsters and older people have taken up 5.9 million free swims during the second quarter of the Government’s Free Swimming Initiative, up from 4.5 million in the first quarter.

The Government has welcomed the latest official data that shows there were 4m free swims by people aged 16 and under, and 1.9m by over sixties, in July, August and September 2009. This is up from 2.9m and 1.6m respectively in the first quarter.
 
Reacting to the figures, Ben Bradshaw, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said: “This is a terrific vote of confidence in our free swimming initiative, which has really caught the imagination of people in every corner of the country.

'More than 10m free swims so far – 5.9m in the last quarter, including a hugely successful August – is testament to how this scheme is tapping into a desire among people, young and old, to get active.

'This scheme is part of the 2012 ‘dividend’ – a scheme inspired by our success in winning the right to stage the Olympics and Paralympics – and is going from strength to strength.

'More councils are joining up and offering more people the chance to swim for free – and each and every local authority that is part of the scheme deserves credit for backing it, often with their own money as well, and seeing the benefits that free swimming can provide every day for local communities.”

The initiative is jointly funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department of Health, Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Communities and Local Government.

It is being delivered in conjunction with local authorities, the Local Government Association, the ASA and Sport England. 

The ASA’s Chief Executive, David Sparkes, said: 'These figures show the power of swimming. They are outstanding results and demonstrate that the free swimming initiative can make a difference in making our nation more active and healthier. All the research pointed to a massive latent demand for swimming and this initiative seems to have put a light to the blue touch paper.

'We now need to keep this going by getting more people involved in swimming, having more fun together. I am delighted with the way the industry has reacted to this and we continue to work with them to make this the most successful initiative ever in getting people more active.'

CLICK HERE for full statistical data from the second quarter.

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For more information on Free Swimming figures please contact Press Enquiries: 020 7211 6052/6277; Public Enquiries: 020 7211 6200.

For more information on the ASA’s involvement please call the ASA PR Manager Sharon Rose on 01509 632262, 07876 652318 or email sharon.rose@swimming.org

Local authorities CLICK HERE to see our FAQs about the Free Swimming Lessons Programme.

Secretary of State Andy Burnham has announced the winner of the Swim4Life competition to invent a new swimming stroke. 

The ‘Dolphinella’ stroke invented by Ella Batchelor, aged 11, from Essex, was chosen from more than 300 new ways to swim invented by children up and down the country as part of Swim4Life, the latest part of the groundbreaking national Change4Life movement.

Andy Burnham said “We had an overwhelming response to our Swim4Life competition that asked kids to invent a brand new swimming stroke.  Ella’s swimming stroke was inspired by her love of dolphins. To swim the Dolphinella, clasp your hands together, put your arms out in front of you and kick your legs together like a fin.

“Swimming is a brilliant way for everybody to get active and for kids to get their 60 active minutes a day – they can burn off energy without even really noticing. It’s great for older adults and those with mobility problems as well.”

ASA Chief Executive David Sparkes said: “The ASA is delighted that so many young people entered the competition and had the imagination to come up with some really innovative and inspiring ideas.

“The ASA uses fun and games to take children from their first splash to full competence in the water and the Dolphinella stroke will give swimming teachers another option when running swimming lessons, especially as it could introduce swimmers to the Butterfly swimming stroke.”

Swim4Life aims to help more families get active in the water, building on the success of schemes such as the Government’s Free Swim initiative, which launched in April this year. For more information click here.

To view the new stroke CLICK HERE

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For more information contact the ASA PR Officer Claire Freeman on 01509 632265 or email claire.freeman@swimming.org

About the ASA
The ASA 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.

About Kellogg’s
The Kellogg Company was founded in 1906 and today produces 40 different cereals including popular brands such as Special K, Cornflakes and Coco Pops, and 56 different snacks including brands such as Nutri-Grain and Special K snacks. Kellogg’s has been a partner of the ASA and British Swimming for 13 years, sponsoring the Kellogg’s ASA Awards and enabling over 50,000 people to take up swimming as part of an active lifestyle.

About British Gas
British Gas, the biggest energy supplier in the country, has the lowest carbon intensity of any of the major UK energy suppliers in terms of tonnes of CO2 emitted per megawatt hour of electricity supplied to customers.  The company is one of the biggest investors in renewable power generation, principally offshore wind. Its recently completed Lynn and Inner Dowsing development, off the Lincolnshire coast, is the UK's largest offshore wind development. British Gas is committed to energy efficiency.  Our Energy Savers Report provides free expert advice on how you can cut energy use in the home and, in turn, save money.  So far, the report has shown over 2 million people how they could make an average saving of £175 a year.  To complete a report go to .www.britishgas.co.uk/energy-efficiency/energy-savers-report

About Speedo®
The world’s leading swimwear brand, Speedo® is passionate about life in and around the water, creating revolutionary new technologies, designs and innovations. Supporting swimming from grass-roots through to elite level, including the phenomenal Michael Phelps, Speedo® is owned by Speedo Holdings B.V and distributed in over 170 countries around the world; SPEEDO, the ARROW device, FASTSKIN, LZR PULSE, SPEEDO ENDURANCE, FLIPTURNS, FASTSKINFSII, SPEEDO BIOFUSE, SWYM and LZR RACER are registered trademarks of Speedo Holdings B.V. The LZR RACER suit has worldwide design rights and patents pending.