Bristol pupils in the swim

Release Date:  24-Jun-2009

A thousand local children will have the unique opportunity to learn to swim in a revolutionary, temporary swimming pool, thanks to a partnership between British Gas and Total Swimming, and the successful launch of the national British Gas Pools 4 Schools initiative.

A 12m x 6m teaching pool has been set up at The City Academy Bristol, where local primary schools can access it free of charge. This is the tenth pool installation in the national British Gas Pools 4 Schools initiative, which has already achieved significant results in London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Manchester.

The British Gas Pools 4 Schools programme was conceived and developed by Total Swimming, the company led by Olympic bronze medallist, Steve Parry and is endorsed by the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA). 

After nearly drowning, following a fall into the River Thames as a youngster, Steve’s parents considered it a necessity that he learnt how to swim, never imagining that he would go onto achieve future Olympic glory.  

The scheme is backed by the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) and aims to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn to swim and achieve the government’s 25m learn to swim targets.

The City Academy Bristol is just one of a number of schools across the UK that will host the temporary pool in the 2008/2009 academic year.

The 0.9m-deep pool was constructed in just four days and filled by Bristol Water with 65,000 litres, ensuring maximum use throughout the summer term. It will welcome children until Friday, 17 July.

 “The focus of the programme is to support young people in achieving the National Curriculum target of swimming 25m and to gain an understanding of water safety,” says Steve Parry.

“Bristol is a key target area for this project, it will ensure that children are given an opportunity they might otherwise not have had.”

He adds: “The results in Aston, Birmingham, were excellent. Less than 20% of children in some schools had previously met their targets. However, after half a term of lessons, 84% in one-year group achieved them.
 “Many children also continued to swim following the project, signifying a legacy effect, when the pool moved on. We hope to achieve similar results with Bristol.”

Rick Vlemmiks, Marketing Director of British Gas said the following:  “Our involvement with swimming in Britain is about making a difference at all levels from the paddling pool to the podium.  With too many children being unable to swim it is great that we can do our bit to help our kids learn a new and potentially life saving skill.

“Swimming pools are part of the fabric of British life and, with 12 million customers across the country, British Gas is also a core part of the nation.  We want to keep swimming at the heart of our communities and encourage greater take up of the sport.”

Simon Cook, Bristol’s deputy leader and cabinet member for culture sport and capital projects, added: “Learning to swim and being confident around water is an important life skill. This additional pool offers children the chance to improve their swimming capabilities and will build on the excellent work already achieved in school swimming lessons.”

Paul Skipp, Director of Sport for The City Academy Bristol, said; "This pool provides a fantastic opportunity for us to increase swimming participation across Bristol. We have around 40 primary schools and around 20 community groups, who will all benefit enormously from access to the pool during the six-week programme.  All of this has been made possible thanks to the financial support from Bristol Water. 

“It has been brilliant to see a whole range of individuals from an array of ages and cultures, work together on such an important 'life skill'. It’s not often that you can offer free pool time and free swimming lessons. Our only regret is that it can't stay permanently! "

Author:   Helen Hewitt, tel. 922 2646

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