Youngsters in West Lothian are being urged to follow in the footsteps of Scotland’s recent Commonwealth and Olympic Games medal winning heroes and celebrate learning to swim.
With September marking Learn to Swim Month, local authorities, leisure trusts and aquatic providers across Scotland have been rolling out a month-long celebration of swimming, which will see hundreds of youngsters take part in swimming lessons every week.
The Learn to Swim month is also celebrating the important role of swimming teachers, with those interested in long-term or shorter-term positions encouraged to get in touch to find out more about becoming a swimming teacher by contacting their local Leisure Trust or aquatic provider.
The Learn to Swim Framework – a partnership between Scottish Swimming and Scottish Water, delivered by Local Authorities, Leisure Trusts and Aquatic providers across Scotland – has already seen more than 100,000 young Scots take part in swimming lessons and is targeting another 100,000 by 2025, in a bid to create a generation of confident, safer and competent swimmers.
Championing the Learn to Swim programme and Learn to Swim month are programme ambassadors and swim superstars, Duncan Scott and Toni Shaw – who both recently achieved major success at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Brian Lironi, director of Corporate Affairs with Scottish Water, said: “Everyone should be able to enjoy Scotland’s rivers, lochs, reservoirs and shorelines safely and with confidence – so it’s brilliant to have a month dedicated to such a fundamental life skill.”
A total of 36 Leisure Trusts and Aquatic Providers are now welcoming children back after the summer holidays in more than 160 pools.
Euan Lowe, chief executive officer at Scottish Swimming, said: “Learning to swim is a life skill and it’s so important for everyone to learn how to be confident and safe in the water.”
For more information on the Learn to Swim programme, visit https://learntoswim.scot/
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