Long Course Weekend Legacy to enhance School Swim Program

Pembrokeshire Leisure in partnership with the “Long Course Weekend” will be enhancing the swimming experience for a range of school children over the spring term.

The hugely popular multi-event organisers will be supporting the local authorities' school swimming provision by providing additional support for a number of targeted schools in the Tenby & Pembroke catchment areas.

Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet member for Residents Services said:

“Many children learn to swim outside of school; but for some, primary school will be the only opportunity they have to learn these important life-enhancing and potentially life-saving skills. Drowning is the third most common cause of accidental death in children.  School Swimming lessons provide an engaging and purposeful experience of the aquatic environment where skills of water competence are taught, experienced, learnt and applied to the differing water environments where swimming may take place. The support and partnership work that we are undertaking with the Long Course Weekend will target those most in need and hopefully enhance the children’s swimming development. We are very appreciative of their support.

Pembrokeshire Leisure & the Long Course Weekend support the Swim Wales & Water Safety Wales’ belief that all children should have the opportunity to learn how to swim and be taught how to stay safe in and around water and recommend that all pupils meet the criteria for the Nofio Ysgol Gold Award, as a guided minimum standard of capability and confidence in swimming and safe self-rescue, by the time that they finish Year 6 of Primary School.

Matthew Evans of Long Course Weekend stated

“We are delighted to be extending the Legacy programme in conjunction with Pembrokshire leisure.  The programme funds many clubs through our volunteer programme, our cycling programme for primary schools is also now underway as is the school’s sports programmes.  I would like to thank all our athletes that have supported the growth of Long Course Weekend that has created so many opportunities for children and clubs across the county.”