Scottish Swim Academy looks set to make a splash in Edinburgh
One of Scotland’s leading learn to swim academies is expanding its offering in Scotland with the opening of two new teaching sites in the capital.
Article Source: Michael Jamieson Swim Academy
Last Updated: 7 March 2024 13:04
Located at Energize Gym in Edinburgh Park and Edinburgh University Sports Centre, the two new locations offer local residents access to affordable swimming lessons for adults, children and toddlers.
Founded in 2018 by Olympic and Commonwealth medalist, Michael Jamieson, the Academy has built a reputation for providing the highest standards of swimming lessons for all ages and creating a fun and accessible programme that is centered around not only skill, but learning through play.
Commenting on the expansion plans Michael said: “It’s no secret that many leisure & swimming facilities are facing closure or have been closed in recent months. This is a worry as swimming is a life skill and a sport
that teaches a variety of physical and social skills in young people. We are delighted to be partnering with Energize Health & Fitness and Edinburgh University for our East Coast roll out and we have further sites earmarked in the coming months.
The expansion comes at a time when there has been increased scrutiny on the public provision and facilities available for swimming across Scotland. Due to rising energy costs, operational costs and the lack of investment in the upkeep of public pools, Scottish Swimming has publicly voiced concerns that there is a lack of available, accessible and affordable water space to teach this vital life skill to Scottish youngsters.
Commenting further Michael said: “From the outset of founding the academy we have always wanted to make swimming lessons inclusive and accessible to all youngsters and with significant public cuts and a lack of funding towards the sport in Scotland, we hope to position ourselves to support as many young people as we can.”
“Our initial level of enquiries is really encouraging and shows the demand for the sport particularly in the current climate where public bodies funding is being squeezed again. Teaching youngsters in Scotland how to swim from a young age is a vital life skill and our lessons do exactly that. We’ve designed our courses to be results driven, fun and accessible and have kept the price point competitive to make it affordable to families.
“We’ve invested in our training programmes & staff teams throughout 2023 and are extremely proud to have developed a team of some of the most effective and passionate teachers in Scotland, many of whom are still actively involved in the sport. We are constantly striving to up-skill our team, through Mental Health and First Aid certification and similar programs, to ensure we have teachers that are not only great swimming teachers but also great leaders & communicators. We are committed to ensuring we have teachers available who are equipped to teach swimming to children with additional support needs and we can adapt our group lessons to accommodate children who need more one to one support. This additional service and skillset has definitely appealed to our
clients across the educational sectors and it’s an area we will be building on throughout 2024".
The Academy already operates from four sites in Glasgow, including Glasgow University, Hillpark Secondary and Hamilton College as well as partnership with schools including The Glasgow Academy. And with more than 2,400 pupils currently involved in its programmes, the Academy is hoping to double this number of participants as it expands to the East Coast.
Image credit: Flat White PR
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