Sw1pools4schools

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 | Channels: Sport, Consumer

Double Commonwealth Champion Cook Dives in to Ashington Pools 4 Schools

Ashington children are being taught to swim for free in an innovative portable pool, which has been built by British Gas Pools 4 Schools at Ashington High School for the second time, after a hugely successful visit in 2009.

The pool is getting the official seal of approval today from South Shields’ double Commonwealth champion Chris Cook.

British Gas Pools 4 Schools takes a special teaching pool around the country and provides free swimming lessons for children in areas where there is limited access to a swimming pool.

The programme is aiming to teach around 700 children to swim, from 20 Ashington schools, over a   7 week period and will deliver at least 6000 swimming lessons in total. It’s hoped this will help local youngsters achieve the National Curriculum target of learning to swim 25m unaided by the time they leave primary school.

One in five children in the UK leaves primary school without being able to swim, and this statistic rises to four in five in some communities with limited access to a pool.

The 12m by 6m pool, which was built by Total Swimming, has been open since 6th June. It will remain on site until 21st July 2011 and will be open to the wider community in the evenings.

For further information about British Gas Pools 4 Schools, go to www.totalswimming.co.uk