CELEBRATION is in the air as Southern Water’s Learn to Swim scheme reaches its 20th anniversary the same year as Britain hosts the Olympics.
Learn to Swim has taught from 1992 in more than 80 swimming pools and clubs in the region, including Horsham’s Pavilions in the Park, and with 600,000 children.
Olympic gold medallist Duncan Goodhew and five-times Paralympic gold medallist Sascha Kindred are both ambassadors of the award winning programme.
Sascha Kindred said: “Working with Southern Water is a massive boost to me and my bid for Paralympic success in London.
“I’m very proud to be linked to the Learn to Swim programme and its aim of encouraging more children to take up swimming.”
The award ceremonies in May and June this year will celebrate Learning to Swim’s children who have shown great courage in overcoming particular difficulties or for exceptional performance while learning to swim.
Each pool nominates one child to receive a medal and prizes from Duncan Goodhew at an achievers ceremony in front of their proud families and friends.
In honour of this year’s games, four times Olympic swimmer Karen Pickering will be running a series of exclusive swim clinics in April to find future Olympians.
Karen Pickering said: “Huge congratulations to Southern Water on the 20th anniversary of their Learn to Swim scheme.
“Not only is it their anniversary but it is Olympic year so it is a very exciting year. Twenty years ago I was preparing for my first Olympic Games.”
For more information, visit: www.southernwater.co.uk/microsites/learntoswim