Swimming club thrown lifeline to help with lockdown
A SWIMMING club has received vital funding from Swimathon Foundation.
Leicester Neptune Swimming Club applied for the grant as part of Swimathon Foundation’s second Covid-19 Relief Fund, announced in February, to help with the loss of income while pools are closed.
Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the club, which was founded in 1961, and offers training and coaching for competitive swimmers of all ages and abilities, has been unable to train and has subsequently stopped charging members, despite dealing with the ongoing running costs.
Through the Swimathon Foundation grant, the club will be able to work towards keeping its volunteer training and development programme in place, as well as helping to subsidise memberships where possible. The club also received Swimathon Foundation funding in 2020.
Simon Goddard, funding officer at the club, said: “This funding is very helpful as it allows us to keep offering development sessions to young swimmers and it encourages them to have a go at swimming in a club and coached environment.
“Normally we would fund a lot of our activities from internal galas and general fundraising, but we have been unable to do this for the last year.
“Our development sessions mean each new swimmer would have 10 free coached sessions to hopefully encourage them to try club swimming. It is especially important to keep offering these development sessions in these uncertain times, when many families have felt the strain and stress of furlough and can’t always afford additional activities for their kids. Swimming is a life skill that has been well documented in boosting one’s overall wellbeing, so we want as many people to take it up as possible.”
Swimathon Foundation has awarded grants to 148 swimming and aquatic clubs, schools, and organisations from its 2021 Covid-19 Relief Fund. The foundation launched its first fund in May 2020 in response to the impact of the pandemic on the swimming community across Britain.
Having awarded £50,000 of grants from this first fund to over 100 organisations and individuals last year, the foundation realised additional support was required and released a further £30,000 to aid the swimming community. Just over 250 organisations/individuals have been supported through the two funds.
Anthony Kendall, chairman of Swimathon Foundation, said: “We have been taken aback by the number of people who needed help during these unprecedented times.”