City swimming scheme helps youngsters gain qualifications and life skills - The Coventry Observer

City swimming scheme helps youngsters gain qualifications and life skills

Coventry Editorial 18th Oct, 2016 Updated: 28th Oct, 2016   0

AN INNOVATIVE swimming scheme hosted by Coventry Sports Foundation is helping youngsters gain qualifications, experience and life skills.

Launched in April, Swim Helpers Academy is helping to teach children how to swim and to later have the chance of becoming a fully-fledged swimming instructor.

With 19 young people taking part, aged between 13 and 16-years-old, the teenagers help qualified instructors during swimming lessons as the Xcel Leisure Centre in Mitchell Avenue.

While carrying out their work, they progress through bronze, silver and gold levels and can move forward with training to be a swimming instructor.




Certain criteria have to be met in the three levels including completing a number of hours’ work, being punctual and reliable.

The bronze level is voluntary before participants get paid as they progress to silver and gold.


Once young people have progressed through all the stages they can then move on to their Level 1 Swimming Instructor qualification.

Wendy Jackson, community development manager at Coventry Sports Foundation, was full of praise for the programme and the young people involved.

She said: “This is a unique scheme as it not only inspires young people, but it also helps them build on skills for the working world.

“Since it was launched in April, we have seen many of the young people benefit in so many ways.

“One participant didn’t know what they wanted to do after school and now has aspirations of becoming a swimming teacher.

“This scheme shows the positives of organisations working with this particular age group and keeping them engaged in sport.”

Email [email protected] for further information about the Swim Helpers Academy.

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