Swim England is to temporarily stop issuing licences for swimming competitions across the country.
The decision covers competitions at levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 and includes events which have already been scheduled for later this year.
Tom Baster, the chairperson of Swim England’s Swimming Leadership Group, said the decision had been taken to ensure swimmers have a safe return to competitive action when lockdown restrictions are eventually lifted.
Over the next few months, the IoS will be delivering bespoke online workshops and their popular suite of Swim England Qualification accredited CPD seminars online as interactive webinars.
A free online course has been created for Swim England members keen to volunteer as a team manager for their aquatic club.
The Team Manager 1 Course is aimed at those who are starting out on their volunteering journey and focuses on single day competitions or camps where there is no overnight stay.
It covers all aquatic disciplines and will be delivered via a two-hour webinar hosted on Zoom on three dates in April.
Swim England has created a new COVID-19 Club Support Toolkit to help its affiliated clubs get through the coronavirus pandemic.
The guidance includes a series of case studies on how other clubs have coped, advice on funding opportunities plus information for any employees or self-employed workers.
There is also a handy budget planner to allow clubs to work out their financial position during the coming months.
An aquatics-specific safeguarding course has been created by Swim England which will help members and its workforce meet the new Stronger Affiliation guidelines.
The Swim England Safeguarding CPD has been created by the recognised national governing body’s child safeguarding, qualifications and educator training teams.
Those who complete the qualification will tick off a key element of Stronger Affiliation, which is being introduced to show clubs have the highest standards of safe and effective practice in place.
Grants Online have bought together a number of Community Foundations and other organisations that have launched funding programmes to assist local organisations in responding to the challenges of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Below you will find a list of organisations and the types of funding they have made available.
This list will be updated over the next few days and weeks as and when information becomes available.
This new fund aims to help community sport and physical activity organisations who are experiencing short term financial hardship or the ceasing of operations due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Swim England is making a ‘fantastic resource’ free of charge to swimming teachers for a limited time.
The national governing body’s Expected Standards videos have already been viewed more than 46,000 times by those delivering the Swim England Learn to Swim Programme.
More than 100 on demand films showing the expected standards learner swimmers should reach on each stage of their swimming journey are now available to view for free.
Swim England have issued new guidelines for coaches delivering on behalf of a club can deliver online / virtual training and ensure that they are operating within Swim England parameters and the club is covered by their Swim England insurance policy for this activity.
Swim England chief executive Jane Nickerson has issued the following statement after the Government ordered the closure of leisure centres due to the coronavirus outbreak.
“As a lifelong swimmer who is passionate about our wonderful sports, it is a very sad day to see the nation’s pools closed.
“However, the nation’s health and wellbeing is of paramount importance to us and in this unprecedented situation, it’s important everyone follows the guidance to help combat the spread of coronavirus
“To help everyone who takes part in aquatic activity keep physically and mentally fit and active, we will be sending out training plans and advice over the coming weeks.
“We will also be releasing some free online CPD opportunities for our teachers and coaches alongside other helpful resources, including some additional live webinars.
“The chancellor has also pledged to help companies keeping on retained workers by paying up to 80 per cent of salaries – and we will look into how the measures he announced will also support our self-employed teachers, coaches and tutors.
“These are challenging times but everyone at Swim England is there to support and do our very best for our clubs, members, workforce and volunteers to ensure we come out of this much stronger.”
