Local swimmers are growing in confidence Studyfinds SouthLanarkshireprogrammeispayingoff
Thousands of children in South Lanarkshire are benefiting from being part of a national programme to help them become better and more confident swimmers, an independent study has found.
Through Scottish Swimming’s Learn to Swim framework more than 8500 children are receiving lessons at nine pools in the area – including East Kilbride’s Dollan Aqua Centre – provided by South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture.
The national Learn to Swim framework has found overwhelming approval from parents and from managers who are tasked with delivering the lessons across Scotland.
Analysis of the study found that 96 per cent of parents surveyed said it is important for their child to learn to swim, more than 85 per cent expressed satisfaction with their children’s enjoyment from the lessons, with 69 per cent praising the quality of the teaching.
More than 75,000 kids across Scotland are involved in the framework, with the target of reaching 100,000 children across the country by 2020.
Valerie Kemp, sport and physical activity manager of South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture, said: “Despite the high levels of satisfaction, we will continue to develop and improve our programme, in partnership with Scottish Swimming.
“We want our lessons to be fun, as well as educational, and it all helps to keep our kids healthy.”
Scottish Swimming CEO Forbes Dunlop said: “Learning to swim should be fun, enjoyable and memorable.
“If children enjoy it from the beginning, they are more likely to continue in the sport.”
Scottish Swimming and Scottish Water formed a three-year partnership in March 2017 to help encourage more than 100,000 children to learn to swim, and the programme is aimed at youngsters from birth to 11-years-old.
The Scottish Swimmingcommissioned survey involved collecting responses from 14 individual leisure trusts and aquatic providers, including the parents of 638 children who are receiving lessons from South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture, which assessed the quality of the Learn to Swim programme.