Press Cuttings

Portsmouth News – February 2008

More youngsters learning to swim

SIXTY youngsters are learning to swim at the new Portsmouth Swim School under a Southern Water-sponsored scheme.

The school, which is based at the Mary Rose School in Gisors Road, now has a waiting list for swimming lessons and has added an extra night. It will be adding even more teaching hours after Easter.

Swim school owner Lynn Goring said: 'There has been a huge demand for places. Swimming lessons have become increasingly popular in recent years.

'More and more parents are recognising the need for their children to have the skills to be safe in water.

'Ironically many of these same parents cannot swim themselves but don't want their children to miss out or be at risk.'

Drowning is still a major cause of accidental death in this country and statistics show that many deaths could be avoided if the victim had been able to swim.

The youngsters are on the Learn to Swim scheme. Hampshire co-ordinator Dave Bialas said: 'It is good to know, when concerns are being raised about childhood obesity, that many youngsters are keeping fit and having fun in the safe, supervised environment of our swimming pools.'

Southern Water website – 28/1/08

SCHOOL LESSONS GOING SWIMMINGLY DESPITE THE RECESSION AND A COLLAPSED ROOF

Despite fears of a national recession, local parents are still happy to “splash out” to have their children taught to swim.

While many shops and businesses are suffering financially, the new Portsmouth Swim School based at the Mary Rose School, Gisors Road, has 60 youngsters already signed up for lessons this year.

The Swim School now has a growing waiting list for their swimming lessons and they have added an extra night and will be adding even more teaching hours after Easter.

The success is all the more remarkable because the ceiling collapsed into the pool last term as the Swim School opened and lessons are only now getting back to normal.

Swim School Owner Lynn Goring said: “Despite the setback there has been a huge demand for places. Swimming lessons have become increasingly popular in recent years. More and more parents are recognizing the need for their children to have the necessary skills to be safe in water. Ironically many of these same parents cannot swim themselves but don’t want their children to miss out or be at risk.”

Drowning is still a major cause of accidental death in this country and statistics show that many deaths could be avoided if the victim had been able to swim.

The youngsters are all learning to swim on the Southern Water sponsored “Learn to Swim” scheme and their Hampshire Co-ordinator Dave Bialas said: “It is good to know that when concerns are being raised nationally about childhood obesity that many Portsmouth youngsters are keeping fit and having fun in the safe, supervised environment of our local swimming pools.”

Miss Goring also helps run the Springfield Swim Club which was started by her grandmother, Margaret.

The club which is based at the Springfield School now has 250 youngsters on the books and only has a few places left for this term.

Under the Southern Water sponsored scheme both the Portsmouth Swim Club and Springfield Swim School get the very latest teaching equipment, staff swimwear and seminars on the most up-to-date swimming techniques. The children receive a swimming bag to celebrate starting the course and certificates and letters as they progress.

The “Learn to Swim” scheme is one of the longest running and most successful sports sponsorships in the UK with more than 500,000 children having learnt on the scheme so far.

© Portsmouth Swim School 2007-2010