YOUNG SWIMMERS SEAL PLACE AS FIRST NATIONAL STAnley WINNERS
04.01.2005
Two young swimmers have won “the freedom of the pool” after being the first children in the country to earn the new STAnley award.
Eliza Ward and Harry Mosley, aged four and five, are the first youngsters in Britain to win the STAnley Swimming Competence Award. The award, run by the Swimming Teachers’ Association, allows them to swim freely at their local pool in Scissett, near Huddersfield.
Concern is growing nationally about new recommendations that state there should be an adult for every child under four years in a pool, and a grown up for every pair of four to seven year olds in the water. There have already been cases of groups and families being turned away from pools simply because they have too many young children.
But now that lifeguards have decided that Harry and Eliza can swim well enough to carry STAnley the Seal competence cards, they will be exempt from the supervision ratios. That means their parents can watch over younger siblings in the pool’s new “kids’ corner” while they swim freely in the main section.
The STA and Kirklees Active Leisure, the trust that manages Scissett and other council-owned pools around Huddersfield, have adopted the STAnley scheme as a way of helping families continue swimming together.
The trials runs until the New Year, but it already looks likely that the STA will roll out the scheme nationally, and that the trust will adopt it for all Kirklees’ pools.
STA Technical Development Officer Garry Seghers said: “Harry and Eliza are a pair of trailblazers: they’ve proved that the new STAnley Swimming Competence Award is viable, and we’re looking to making it a national standard as quickly as possible.
“The award solves two big problems in one go. It encourages children like Harry and Eliza to learn to swim at an early age - which is important for their health, safety and fun.
“It also means their parents can bring their younger brother and sisters to the pool, which is the start of getting them to swim at an early age too.”
Mark Dunstan, regional manager for Kirklees Active Leisure, said: "We're very proud that two of our regular young swimmers in Scissett have already taken the plunge and gained the STAnley Swim award. They've done extremely well, especially considering their tender ages, and we hope they're the first of many.
"We're offering the assessment free until the end of our admissions policy pilot: we'd like to see dozens of youngsters proving their swimming skills and getting the award.”
Notes to Editors
The STAnley Swimming Competence Award, particularly aimed at children aged four to seven, reassures pool managers and lifeguards of the ability of young pool users. Candidates must be able to jump into the water at the deep end, swim for 12.5 metres, then a further 12.5 metres to the deep end, tread water for one minute, then swim a further 25 metres.
The new adult: children ratio guidelines have been brought in by the Institute of Sport and Recreation Management. They state that:
- all non-swimmers must wear armbands or other approved floatation device
- children under the age of four must be accompanied by a responsible adult aged 16 and over on a one to one basis
- children aged between four and nine must be accompanied by an adult on a two children to one adult basis
However, in a learner pool or shallow section of a pool, this ratio increases to:
- two children aged under four to one adult
- and three children aged under nine to one adult.
For further information, please telephone the STA on 01922 645097 or email sta@sta.co.uk.
Alternatively, call Rosey Hamilton, Kirklees Active Leisure, on 01484 416505 or email rosey.hamilton@kirklees.gov.uk.
For further editorial information please contact:
Samantha Stewart
Pure Communications
Tel: 01743 260950
Email: s.stewart@pure.uk.com
