Free swimming lessons on offer

Release Date:  24-Dec-2009

Ever wanted to learn to swim? Aged over 11?

Well now’s your chance to learn – and for free, thanks to a new government initiative and the city council’s partnership with Sport & Leisure Management (SLM), who manage Bristol’s six swimming pools.

Opportunities to learn to swim for free are currently on offer at Bristol South, Easton and Henbury. With the possibility of further free lessons at Jubilee and Bishopsworth and Horfield swimming pools later on in the New Year.

Participants signing up to the free swims will have the chance to take part in up to six hours of lessons by qualified instructors. And once they’ve completed their free lessons a £20 free swimming lesson voucher is available to all those who continue with lessons past the initial stage.

“More and more people are taking up swimming,” says Gary Teagle, assistant contract manager with SLM. “We know there are people who would like to swim, but need some lessons and expert tuition to get them started.

“Swimming is an excellent way to get fit and regular swimming can help people stay healthy. Our records show thousands of local people are now enjoying Bristol’s free swim offer – so I would encourage anyone who would like to learn to swim for free to take up this fantastic opportunity.”

Places are limited. For more information contact Alan Powell, SLM tel. 07825 313 199 or visit the council's website.

· Take up of free swims (for people aged 60 and over and for young people aged 16 and under) in Bristol has been hugely successful, with 109,000 swims in the first seven months from April 2009 to the end of November 2009. Of these, 43, 000 swims have been taken up by older people, this represents a 300 per cent increase on the previous year.

Author:   Helen Hewitt, tel. 0117 922 2646

For all media enquiries relating to this press release, please contact Corporate Communications on 0117 922 2650.

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