Awards for All England is a simple grants scheme Offering Big Lottery Fund grants of between £300 to £10,000 to grassroots groups in the community and voluntary sector, health bodies, schools and parish or town councils.

The programme aims to make a difference to communities and the lives of those most in need and will focus on social and environmental projects that benefit local communities.

For further details click here.

  

Spring Conference on Saturday 23rd May to be held at Lee in South East London is confirmed set to take place on Saturday 23rd May at Colfes School, SE12 8AW, with a focus on club development.  To book a place on one the master classes on the day click here.  

 

If you would like to book any master class with London swimming please click here. 

  

There has been an important change to Official Sports London’s funding practice.

Funding is now available for retrospective applications - Londoners aged 16+ who have completed or started an eligible course since 23^rd October 08 can now apply for funding relating to that course including course costs, equipment and uniform costs, license, membership and registration fees. 

This funding is only available for a short time. More details are available here.

  

Voting is now open for the London Swimming/ASA Aquaforce Volunteer Awards, so get voting now!  There are a variety of categories whether you would like to nominate a club coach, official or swim teacher, deadline is 1^st July 2009.

Full details available here.

Some clubs have been suspended from membership of the ASA due to non payment of the 2009 membership fee. Members whose fee paying club is suspended for non-payment of fees will not be eligible to compete in events under the jurisdiction of the ASA which Includes Regional, County and open events. Furthermore the members are not covered by the ASA insurance policy.

Details of suspensions are available here.

  

The new Licensing Scheme for Aquatic Professionals: Teachers and Coaches has been launched. To coincide with this, the ASA are offering 500 free licences to its teachers and coaches so they can show they are committed to continuous improvement and professional development.

Full details of the new scheme are available here.

London diving Clubs Crystal Palace and Havering Cormorant’s competed at the ASA National Skills in Leeds (3-5 April). Further details are available here.

 

Following her excellent performances at the British Gas National Swimming Championships two weeks ago, Harrow & Wealdstone’s Carmella Kitching has been selected to swim for Great Britain at the European Junior Swimming Championships.  Full details available here

  

ASA Swimming Talent Camp Level 1 Camp 3 - Abbs Cross Sports Centre, Romford. 

The final Level 1 camp of this season took place in Romford on Sunday 5^th April.

Full details available here

 

Leonie Buck of the London Disability Swimming squad won three golds at the CP (Cerebral Palsy) sport National Championships last weekend in Nottingham.  Leonie who has recently joined Greenwich Borough Mariners, won her golds in the S9 50m and 100m freestyle events and the 50m backstroke.  She also won a bronze in the S8 50m breast stroke.

Buck was competing alongside two other members of the squad, Oscar Livesey of Greenwich SC and Thomas Urry of Cheam Maracuda, both of whom set new PBs. 

Over 50 swimmers attended the event.

   

Success for the Kings Cormorants at the 18th Guernsey International Meet April 2009 - Phil Newman wins top male swimmer award and the club wins for second year in a row the Top Visiting Club Award.

Frances Penwarden, Croydon Amphibians, sets a new British Record, in the 200m Breaststroke

(Age Group 55-59) in a time of  3.05.98

London Master Swimmers are on television. Channel TV, Guernsey, featuresCecil Benfold, the eldest competitor, Jane Asher, multi World, European and British Record Holder, and Frances Penwarden achieving her Breaststroke British Record.

The swimming report comes in about 5 minutes through the feature.

Please find details of a Level 1 Water Polo course, the course is running in conjunction with a Water Polo Camp that has been organised by London Swimming and asa East Region. Further details available here.

 

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and Lend Lease have released new images of a world-class education campus to be built within the Olympic Village. Further details available here.

 

For more information on courses, dates and venues, to download booking forms, or details of funding opportunities please click here.

Colin Brown (RD) This week has definitely had a mobile pool backdrop with the construction of the Brent Pool (April 20 to May 20) starting with a vengeance and meetings with a number of councils around opportunities for further pools in September. In addition Colin has completed two staff appraisals and attended the West London Senior Leisure Officers forum to update them on Free Swimming, Aquatic Strategies and of course mobile pools. Next week: A slightly shorter week as Colin will be working Tuesday and Wednesday. Creating the specification for the new website and completing the annual Host Borough Status report will dominate the time available.

 

This week has seen Jo Melchior (Project Manager) working in her new role with London Swimming as a Project Manager. She is currently in Brent overseeing a Pool in the School programme at a terrific primary school called Preston Park. Jo has been busy with recruitment of teachers and participants and keeping a close eye on the build process. Next week Jo will be meeting up with representatives from the LDA who work on the Personal Best scheme, this is a volunteer programme linked to the 2012 Olympics. Jo will be ascertaining if volunteers could be utilised to assist with the administration of the Brent project, who hopefully may be inspired to become involved in Aquatics generally.

  

Jo Calvino (Aquatic Development Programme Co-ordinator) started the week off sick due to a tooth infection and was struggling to speak but has been focusing on Mel Marshall’s Freestyle Master Class next week on the 18^th April, spaces are still available click here, and the Spring Conference on May 23^rd which hosts a number of training sessions and an IM Master Class for details click here.

Jo is now working on the next series of master classes leading up to the Summer.

 

This week Jemma Konuralp (Swim21 Quality co-ordinator) unfortunately had to tell Chelsea and Kensington SC that their swim21 accreditation has been suspended as they have not complied with the revalidation requirements. On a happier note however she had five very good meetings with five clubs. On Monday she had an encouraging meeting with Killerwhales of Havering who are very close to being ready to be assessed for their swim21 accreditation. She then met with Bexley in the evening to discuss their revalidation forms. On Tuesday she assessed Dagenham SC who decided at the last minute that they would not only go for teaching level but also skill development. Finally on Wednesday she met with Hillingdon Ford Swim Squad to discuss how swim21 accreditation can help the club expand and in the evening she had a pre-assessment meeting with Bethnal Green Sharks who unveiled the template for their brilliant new website w hich will go live in the next couple of months.