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Swim Cheltenham is an evolved new initiative for 2023 following the growth in partner collaboration and additional funding from Cheltenham Borough Council. The programme was previously funded by Heidi’s Heroes and organised and facilitated by Move More.

Heidi’s Heroes was launched in 2013 as an ongoing and permanent tribute to Heidi Wood, a former world championship swimmer from Cheltenham.

Heidi went to Rowanfield School, Cheltenham; later in life became a world champion swimmer and after her retirement from world class swimming she went on to coach and teach swimming to many young people in Gloucestershire. Swimming was her passion, so supporting and encouraging children to take part in the sport is an integral part of Heidi’s Heroes’ work within the local area, since the Charity was formed by her husband Paul, in her honour.

The aims of the Charity are: Support – for those with cancer and their families, Care – for those coping with bereavement, and finally Courage – for children to learn to swim. Learn more about their charity and/or to donate please visit their website https://www.heidisheroes.co.uk/

We organise A LOT of different events over the year but this intervention event is one of our absolute favourites! 💓💦🏊
 
Move More and Heidi’s Heroes collaborate every year to deliver this fantastic swimming intervention programme aimed at Year 5 and 6 pupils who have not progressed or achieved some of the basics of swimming. It is for those pupils who are nervous of the water, unable to perform a safe rescue, or who struggle to travel through water with any level of confidence or competence.
 
 
After the course we will all come together at Sandford Parks Lido to celebrate with the children and award them their hard earnt certificates!
 
We would like to thank Heidi’s Heroes and in particular Paul and Millie, for providing funding for this programme, and for their dedication and commitment. We would also like to thank the fantastic instructors that work on this programme every year, CLC Health and Fitness Centre for providing their venue free of charge and Dean Close School for providing us with a pool for the second programme in July.
 

programme Details:

Fully funded intensive swimming intervention course held by dedicated swimming teachers, with a small group of children for 30 min lesson at the same time EVERY DAY for ONE WEEK. 

Primarily, the programme is for children that are nervous and unsafe around water and that are not on course to achieve the three national curriculum school swimming objectives listed below.

Each pupil is required to be able to do the following:

  • Perform safe self-rescue in different water based situations
  • Swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres (without floating aids)
  • Use a range of strokes effectively, for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke.