The Vision (for this facility)
Our vision for the development of a 50m swimming pool in Lincolnshire is not simply to benefit competitive swimmers (who I hasten to add will benefit from this facility), we propose to provide a facility for the entire public.
The facility in itself is proposed to have the following features:
• A removable floor
• A removable sliding boom
• 8+ swimming lanes
• Electronic timing
How will these facilities benefit the community and why are they required?
Let us answer these critics.
A removable floor provides the opportunity to accommodate numerous activities including water polo, synchronised swimming, lifesaving, sub-aqua activities and competitive swimming for example; while raising the floor will accommodate learn to swim programmes, public swimming sessions, school swimming and health and fitness based classes including aqua jogging for example. This feature has been incredibly successful in Loughborough.
A removable sliding boom provides the facility with an incredible option of dividing the pool into two 25m facilities (which can be at different depths based on the removable floor and therefore accommodate various activities simultaneously) or leave the pool as a 50m venue for competitive swimming. Loughborough have devised a timetable to ensure that the facility is widely used by all members of the public and they have experienced large-scale success.
Developing the facility with 8 plus swimming lanes provides further options and ensures that swimming lessons for instance can flourish in our county. For example, lane ropes have been developed in the county to divide swimming pools into pre-determined areas and provides an incredible opportunity to accommodate increasing numbers of learn to swim programmes for instance by simply raising the floor and dividing the pool. This has been successful in venues around the county including Yarborough Leisure Centre for example; unfortunately, we understand that current swim schools are in great demand and cannot accommodate all wish-to-be learners without a waiting list? It is important to provide young children with experience of the water at an early age to develop water safety but also to develop water confidence; a crucial variable to be able to swim efficiently, regardless of ability.
Electronic timing is an important variable of competitive swimming based on validity of timing and potential errors associated with manual timing. The nearest available facility within the county with electronic timing is in Market Deeping, a journey of more than 60 minutes away. This would provide swimming clubs with an excellent opportunity to aspire towards success.
Who will benefit from this facility? Will the facility be used?
Will the facility be used? The answer to this is yes!
Who will benefit, examples of areas/disciplines benefiting from such a facility include:
• Swimming schools/swimming lessons/learn to swim
• Competitive swimming clubs
• School swimming opportunities
• Aqua jogging and other health and fitness-based classes
• Public sessions (e.g. social swims, general sessions)
• Synchronised swimming clubs (to form and flourish)
• Water polo clubs (to form and flourish)
• Diving clubs (to form and flourish)
• Sub-aqua activities (to form and flourish)
• Life Saving
• Aqua fit sessions
• Promote disability sports
• Canoeing – learning the essential skills needed for survival
• University (currently cannot form a swimming team due to facilities available)
– The Sport Science degree programme struggled to find a venue for their
practical swimming component 2006/2007
Activities such as synchronised swimming and water polo require deep water based on the nature of the activity. Maybe this is why the only Water Polo Club in the region to my knowledge is Grantham Kings and Grantham’s Leisure Centre who coincidently have a 25m swimming pool with removable floor?
Opportunities for learn to swim are reported to be declining unless secondary schools are attached to a swimming pool, which is partly due to a government initiative to ensure all children can complete 25m unaided prior to finishing year 6 (KS2). This is an excellent initiative, don’t get me wrong about that; although we have been informed that due to a lack of available pool time, many secondary schools struggle to or cannot include swimming on their timetables, which is a huge disappointment.
We hasten to add that this is the vision of our campaign, we do not claim to be developers of sport strategies, financial advisors, property developers, posses political acumen or have statistics and figures ready to hand. We are simply two individuals passionate about sport voicing a plausible proposal to provide opportunities to the all genres of society, which are available in other regions.
This campaign began with discussions between the two of us and we soon realised that the vision for swimming was identical: providing opportunities for the second most popular sport to flourish. We have a vision of swimming in our county and wanted to share it with the general public to determine whether you, as a county, agreed with the proposal.