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PEOPLE NEWS


New Head Of Servicing & Small Works Emphasises Team Work and Communication


London Swimming Pool Company (LSPC) has a new Head of Servicing & Small Works. Chris Walker has been promoted into this key role after five years as LSPC’s Contracts Manager, where he helped to grow the volume of luxury pools being built by the company.


Originally created to provide high quality servicing for the pools it designs and builds, LSPC Servicing has become a thriving business in its own right, providing regular and emergency pool and spa servicing as well as managing a diversity of small works and refurbishment projects. Chris brings a 360 degree pool industry pedigree to the new role, having worked across both servicing and contracting during his 25 years in the


business. Prior to joining LSPC Contracting, Chris was a senior service engineer at Rainbow Pools for nine years and before that was manager of the controls department at Climatec, manufacturers of pool air handling units, heat pumps and dehumidifiers.


Chris commented: “This role is a great opportunity to use my combined areas of expertise to support both clients and our service engineers. Having a deep understanding of the design and construction of pools is a significant benefit to the servicing operation, especially when diagnosing and addressing unexpected issues or idiosyncrasies that arise. “We continue to see


exponential growth in London’s


luxury pool market, especially among overseas property buyers. These clients want to enjoy swimming in the privacy of their homes which creates an ongoing demand for new pools and thus servicing. This sector of the community will always want their pools serviced and maintained by professionals.


“As Head of Servicing & Small


Works, I am adopting a very team-centric approach because a fulfilled and proud workforce makes for happy staff and happy clients! In order to build on our reputation as a premier service company providing 24/7 response, I will be fostering a strong team spirit, encouraging my team of ten service engineers to share experiences and information informally and


through team briefings. This will, I’m sure, enhance skills, knowledge and client satisfaction; and take our growth to the next level,” concluded Chris. Chris will lead LSPC Servicing in close cooperation with Small Works Team.


London Swimming Pool Company 020 8605 1255 www.londonswimmingpools.com


Lack Of Qualified Swimming Teachers Impacting UK’s Youngsters


Difficulties in recruiting trained swimming teachers are creating widespread problems for many swim schools across the UK – and this is majorly impacting on the opportunity for children to learn how to swim, a survey by the Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA) has found.


The 2015 Industry Swimming Teachers Recruitment Survey by STA, the world’s largest independent swimming teaching and lifesaving organisation, found that almost three-quarters (72%) of swim schools in the UK have a waiting list for lesson spaces, while just over 81% said they could not find appropriately qualified swimming teaching staff to meet this demand.


In five regions – London, North East, East Anglia, Wales and the North – every swim school owner that responded to the STA survey said it could not find the right recruits, despite actively looking for teachers to meet the demand for swim classes. Kaylë Burgham, STA’s


Technical Manager for Aquatics, said recruitment is a widespread problem and this issue is further


18 October 2015 SPN


compounded by the fact that many swim schools already find it difficult to cope with the increased demand for lessons because of pool time availability and a limited number of pools. “We undertook this survey to understand how widespread an issue swimming teacher recruitment is in the UK and to understand what the main challenges are and the impact on swim schools and swimming. What we have found is very concerning,” she said.


A total of 229 swim schools, which between them teach more than 331,000 children and adults every week, responded to the STA survey. The main findings were: • 66% said they were looking to recruit swimming teachers to meet demand


• 71% said difficulty in finding appropriate


staff was affecting their business growth plans


• 63% said they were prepared to invest in training unqualified staff


• 69% said lack of staff and increased waiting lists meant it was more difficult for people to learn to swim.


One respondent said: “I have been teaching for 40 years and this is the worst I have seen on children’s ability to swim.” Another commented: “Candidates do not see swimming teaching as a full-time profession, only a part-time add-on.” One teacher raised concerns about the lack of swimming lessons as part of a child’s mainstream, education: “Although mandatory physical education remains ‘only’ a foundation subject within the new National Curriculum and although swimming is compulsory, this is not reflected in many schools or by central government.” You can see the full results from STA’s swimming teacher recruitment survey on the STA website.


STA 01922 645097 www.sta.co.uk


www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk


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