The national governing body for
aquatics in England has today launched a campaign appealing for those from
ethnically diverse communities to give their views and experiences – with the
aim of helping to make water-based activity more accessible and enjoyable for
everyone.
Ethnically diverse communities are
under-represented across aquatics, with only 3.4% of diverse communities
swimming regularly compared to 5.5% of white communities.
The national campaign, named England
Swims, is asking for everyone to respond – including those who can swim but may
choose not to, those who cannot swim, those who have tried but have not had
positive experiences and those that already enjoy the water.
The campaign will feature across a
variety of print and digital channels, encouraging participation in the survey.
Alongside this, there will be face-to-face contact in community and faith
centres through partners such as Sporting Equals, to help reach those who may
not have access or feel comfortable completing a survey online.
Working with leisure partners and
councils across the country, the campaign will be localised to meet the needs
of the area, such as Bradford Swims and Leicester Swims – as well as within
London boroughs, for example, Hackney Swims.
Swim England is hoping to receive the
largest response to a survey of its type in the sport and leisure sector to
help understand the barriers to swimming for underrepresented groups and
communities.
Responses can be submitted by an
online survey at englandswims.swimming.org which is open from Tuesday 24 May
until Tuesday 21 June.
The results will significantly shape
the future of the sector and Swim England’s next 10-year strategy, which will
be its most ambitious yet in terms increasing diversity in the water. The
findings will also be shared with other sporting organisations.
Richard Hookway, chairperson of the
Swim England board, explained the significance of the England Swims campaign
and also the importance of the support needed from communities up and down the
country.
He said: “This piece of work will go
a long way in helping not only us, but the entire sector, to make aquatics more
accessible and inclusive.
He said: “This piece of work will go
a long way in helping not only us, but the entire sector, to make aquatics more
accessible and inclusive.
“We are excited to run this important
campaign and we look forward to hearing how we can adapt and improve the
experiences for those who do not, or choose not to, enter the water and also
those who are involved in aquatics but still face barriers.
“However, we cannot do this without
your input and support, so please take some time to complete the survey and
share it with your friends and families.
“Everyone deserves to experience the
benefits of being in the water – help make a difference to the future of aquatics.
“The water truly is for everyone.”
Swim England chief executive, Jane
Nickerson, added: “We hope that the England Swims campaign will inspire
everyone to come forward, enabling them to shape how we can make swimming more
accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
“Together we can build a future where
swimming is enjoyed by all, but we need your help.”
Arun Kang OBE, Sporting Equals chief
executive, said: “Sporting Equals is glad to support this campaign to make
aquatics more accessible for all communities in England.
“Through our membership, activators
and network of associate member organisations, we hope to generate survey
responses in our key cities, making sure the survey gets to the right people in
the right format to ensure maximum engagement.
“We feel that capturing, reflecting
and implementing policies and practices based on lived experiences of the
communities the sector seeks to engage, in this case ethnically diverse
communities, is integral to delivering tangible change.
“We look forward to supporting this
campaign to make aquatics more diverse.”
About Swim England
Formally known as the Amateur
Swimming Association, Swim England is the national governing body for swimming
in England. It helps people learn how to swim, enjoy the water safely, and
compete in all aquatic sports.
Swim England’s vision is of a nation
swimming and it strives to inspire everyone to enjoy the water in the way that
suits them. Each month millions of people are able to enjoy swimming, diving,
water polo and synchronised swimming, having been through the Swim England
Learn to Swim Programme.
Swim England also supports its
members, clubs and athletes, and runs qualification and education programmes to
develop the workforce. For more information visit swimming.org/swimengland
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