Bookings are now open for London’s Spring Conference to take place on Saturday 23rd May at Colfes School, SE12 8AW, with a focus on club development.  To book a place on any of the sessions at the conference click 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.

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.

 

If you would like to book any master class with London swimming please see www.londonswimming.org.uk for further information.

 

25 - 29 May – L1 Teaching Aquatics Units 1&2 - Whitgift School Haling Park, Croydon, CR2 6YT

26 - 30 May – L1 Teaching Aquatics Units 1&2 - Camberwell Leisure Centre, Artichoke Place,                                Southwark SE5 8TS

28 & 29 May - L1 Coaching Waterpolo Unit 2 - Queen Elizabeth Boys School, Queens Road,                                Hertfordshire, EN5 4DQ

27 & 28 June - L1 Coaching Diving Unit 2 - Wardown Swimming and Leisure Centre,

                        Bath Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU3 1ES

 

7-9, 21-30 May - L2 Teaching Aquatics Units 1-6 Course based - Golden Lane Leisure Centre, Golden Lane Estate, Fann Street, City of London, EC1Y 0SH

15-19, 22-26 June – L2 Teaching Aquatics Units 1-6 Course based - Camberwell Leisure Centre, Artichoke Place, Southwark SE5 8TS

16-19 Jun – L2 Teaching Aquatics Units 1-3 - Oasis Sports Centre, 32 Endell Street, Camden, WC2H 9AG

22-26 Jun – L2 Teaching Aquatics Units 4-6 - Oasis Sports Centre, 32 Endell Street, Camden, WC2H 9AG

For more information on courses, dates and venues, to download booking forms, or details of funding opportunities please visit www.londonswimming.org

 

Youth Championship Timings information is available here.

 

Waterpolo referee’s D Grade course

6^th & 7^th June 2009 - Whitgift School, Haling Park, South Croydon, Surrey, CR2 6YT

For more information and application details click here.

 

Colin Brown (RD) This week: Was full of those real highlights that make you smile all with a facility feel to them. Imagine yourself standing on a wobbly scaffolding platform 30 metres above a building site looking at two workmen use huge hammers to bash rivets the size of milk bottles into place. This was the end of a complicated operation involving over 30 metres of Aquatic Centre roof being craned into position high above our heads. It was amazing the Aquatics Centre roof was being built in front of our eyes (click here to see the 2012 photo gallery)

Wednesday saw me take one of the last tours of Crystal Palace prior to its opening at the end of the month. I last visited Crystal Palace on the 13th February and it was amazing to see how much progress has been made in this short space of time. The venue opens for business with a modern pentathlon this weekend and the London Regional Championships on the 2-3rd May, click here for more details. The building work hasn't been the only activity going on and recruitment has taken place for a new Head of Aquatics at Crystal Palace who will oversee the Beacon Programme which contains swimming, water polo and diving disciplines. Agreements are currently being finalised before the facility opens and each discipline will operate slightly differently but under one umbrella. On a smaller scale than the previous two facilities the mobile pool in Preston Park Primary School in Brent also opened for business. This is a 12x6x0.9m teaching pool deployed into the schools hall.

Colin also spent time with Downside Fisher Youth Club who have a 15m pool in Southwark to support them looking at their plans for the future. Colin also had an excellent meeting with the Johnny Wright the new Managing Director of Ealing Swimming Club on his ambitions to take the club forward.

Next week: Colin will start his week meeting all the club hirers of Crystal Palace with representatives of ASA and GLL to discuss the implications of the Beacon programme and how they get on board as the programme rolls out each phase. Colin will also be attending the launch of the London Sports Legacy Plan and meetings with colleagues in Loughborough. Of course Colin will be attending the London Championships at Crystal Palace on Saturday, click here for more details.

 

This week has seen Jo Melchior (Project Manager) busy with logistics at the mobile pool in Brent. The pool at Preston Park will be hosting over 500 children from the school itself with the addition of other schools from the area, also local children and adults will be learning to swim in the afternoons and evenings. This project will also be linking to the LDA Personal Best programme where people from the Brent area will be volunteering to do some of the ambassadorial and administrative duties that are required.  

 

This week Jemma Konuralp (Swim 21 Quality co-ordinator) has assessed Saxon Crown SC over two evenings and has then been dealing with the outstanding information in respect of the other eight clubs hoping to be accredited in May. Next week she will be assessing Bethnal Green Sharks for their re-accreditation, watching a coaching session at Greenwich Borough Mariners and visiting the Learn To Swim section at Dagenaham SC

This week Annabel Kehoe (Everyday Swim Islington) was still buzzing from participating in the Swimathon. Twenty adults who had just completed their swimming lessons through the Everyday Swim project, took part in the Swimathon on Friday and together swam 10km. For some, it was their first time in a main pool while some stronger swimmers completed 1km. Annabel would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the swimmers and wish them congratulations for their efforts. Annabel was invited to a Central Pro-Active meeting where she presented on the successes of Everyday Swim Islington. Annabel also met with Kate Sargant and Nicola Polley, along with Islington’s local partners to discuss the year ahead for Islington as a Good Practice Centre. Annabel will see out the week by celebrating ANZAC day on Saturday.

 

Jo Calvino (Aquatic Development Programme Co-Ordinator) has been catching up with emails and correspondence. She started her first day back to work concentrating on her tutor training, which will be a strong focus for the next few months.  She is also supporting Bastien on the Gala Day set to take place on May 8^th.