NEWS NEWS
Sports Minister, Tracey Crouch joined a host of Olympic athletes, including Double Olympic gold medal winner Rebecca Adlington OBE, former World Champion Mark Foster and 2004 bronze Olympic medallist Steve Parry, to celebrate 125 years of school swimming lessons on 10 November 2015. The event was held at sports and leisure operator Everyone Active’s Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre, in St Albans, in partnership with Becky Adlington’s SwimStars and the ASA (Amateur Swimming Association).
The Olympians celebrated the occasion dressed in Victorian costumes and were joined by 125 school pupils from the local area to take part in a
Victorian-style school swimming lesson. They then changed into 2015 costumes to treat the youngsters to a modern lesson, which included sessions in speed swimming, water polo and synchronised swimming. The event also coincided with the release of the ASA’s 2015 School Swimming Survey, which shows the current standard of primary school swimming. The new figures suggest there is still a long way to go to improve school swimming lessons in England: • Only 52% of children aged between 7 and 11 are able to swim 25 metres unaided, despite it being a Key Stage 2 national curriculum requirement.
• 33% of parents are unaware of their child’s progress or ability regarding water safety and swimming, and only 17% of primary schools communicate with secondary schools regarding a pupil’s swimming ability.
The new, state-of-the-art £8m Royton Leisure Centre opened at the end of September and features a six-lane, 25-metre Olympic legacy swimming pool with spectator seating and a separate learner pool. As part of the Olympic Facilities Legacy Fund, the new centre was awarded a grant of £134,000 from Sport England to support the pool’s installation and ensure the legacy of London 2012 lives on.
The new pool is the same design as one of the Olympic training pools.
The Byron Street-based centre, funded by Oldham Council, will be run by Oldham Community Leisure (OCL).
Oldham Council Leader Jim McMahon said: “After years of planning and hard work the opening of one of the borough’s new Olympic legacy centres is here. It is a modern, stunning, state-of-the-art centre for the residents of
4 December 2015 SPN
All the Latest News, Info, Products and Gossip From the UK Pool and Spa Industry and Beyond
Sports Minister Joins Swimming Stars For Milestone School Swimming Anniversary
• 20% of primary schools are using the Sports Premium to support school swimming, a YOY increase of 2%.
• The average teacher:pupil ratio has improved to 1:10 from 1:11.
In light of these results, Rebecca Adlington, Mark Foster, Steve Parry, Tracey Crouch and Jon Glenn – Head of Learn to Swim at the ASA – took part in a discussion and gave their
views on the opportunities and importance of school swimming and why it must be safeguarded for Britain’s children.
Plans to help raise awareness of school swimming during the year will include Everyone Active and Becky Adlington’s SwimStars working in partnership to raise attainment, including launching a School Swimming National Awareness Week in February 2016 and the ASA’s ‘Biggest School Swimming Lesson’ in the spring.
£8m Royton Leisure Centre Complete Royton, Shaw and Crompton to enjoy.
Oldham Council Leader Jim McMahon with Oldham Community Leisure Chief Executive Stuart Lockwood and Royton’s Olympic legacy swimming pool
OCL Chief Executive Stuart Lockwood said: “The new Royton Leisure Centre will become a central hub for adults and children of all ages and abilities, providing a better and more tailored offering than ever before. “Our team, in partnership with Oldham Council have worked extremely hard over the last few years to bring this project to life, and it’s very rewarding to see the facility complete.” Charles Johnston, Property Director at Sport England, said: “The pool at Royton Leisure Centre will ensure that the legacy of London 2012 continues to thrive in Oldham. Legacy pools have the potential to benefit thousands of people and I am really pleased that the local community in Royton and surrounding areas will be able to benefit from this innovative scheme.”
www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88