Most sport and fitness clubs and groups wouldn't be able to function without volunteers like these. Their get-up-and-go helps others stay healthy, make friends, enter competitions and more. Read on to find out what inspires them to make it happen for others.

All | Simon | Carrie | Louise | Jane

Tuesday Apr 15, 2008

The school holidays

Club has been incredibly quiet for the past couple of weeks due to a lot of children taking a break with parents/ carers over the Easter Break.

For us volunteers it has been quite nice as we have have been able to focus on the newer recruits to the club. It is a real joy to watch confidences growing, friendships being built and a pride in being part of a team.

At the official Easter break we had been able to have the inflatable and all the children had received an easter egg each. Unfortunately we have not been able to do anything out of the ordinary with the children this time round.

I am still continuing with my small group of girls. They are consistently trying to swim less with me but know that I am generally fair. One little girl this week got out early. She had felt sick and had taken a rest, she then said she felt better and wanted to get back in the water. As she continued swimming I could see her turning green around the gills. (No pun intended). I then advised her to get out, she was a little apprehensive at first, which she did. She then went on to tell me that she had been out all day and had attended a sleepover the night before. Resulting in her going to sleep at 3am. The poor girl was knackered!!!

What was nice though is when the rest of the group noticed her leaving they asked her if she was okay. I hope I will see her this week as she brings a real team spirit together for the girls. Also a great motivator!! She is technically not a great swimmer but has a willingness to try anything.

Quick Update

I had said previously the club were struggling to recruit. Amazingly a slot came up at my sons school for local sports clubs to promote themselves. I told the founders of the club and they managed to get some flyers together and a table in the school hall. The flyers left over were distributed out with some of the mums and were being delivered to other local schools. Fingers crossed we will get some new recruits!

Posted by Louise ( 8:42 AM )
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Thursday Mar 06, 2008

Badge night - the results.

Hi Guys, I said I would try and get back to you with news on my son and brother- here goes.....

My brother, well, what can I say, he made my mother proud and joined her and dad in Rochdale for mothers day weekend!

My son- made me proud! He swam 28 lengths and to achieve certificate needed 24 lengths. In the evening a further six children managed to gain certificates.

I was really pleased with all of the children's achievements. We have previously had presentation evenings which have worked really well. In those we ask for parents/ carers to provide food- not to different from kids parties in school. It has worked as a real morale booster...

Unfortunately that same Friday I was given the news that the clubs funds are becoming an issue and the children may need to pay more. For me that is not an issue as I only have one child. For families of 2+ children there is no discount for the amount of children you pay for. The founders of the club are very disappointed as they always have put the children first.

The question that is going round in my head is....

How can the club promote themselves to increase the amount of children that use it?

Answers on a postcard please! (just joking, but on a serious note if anyone is reading the blog and has similar experiences please get in contact).

Will see what this Friday brings, some good news I hope and maybe my sons certificate. xx

Posted by Louise ( 1:56 PM )
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Tuesday Oct 09, 2007

Diving buddies

This Friday as well as taking my son swimming I also took along a school friend of his. Had introduced her to one of the main people and had shown her the groups in the big pool. I had then gone and taken my own group. Unfortunately when I looked up my sons friend had been placed in the baby pool. Not cool when you are 9 years of age!! She had been very good about it and will be returning next Friday.

In my own group I only had two boys who are the complete opposite of each other. This is a shame as it pulls on the motivation of the keen swimmer. In the group next to me was a group of about eight girls and one boy. The boy was continually not listening and had started spitting water at the other girls. I had stepped in and called time out for the boy. His instructor had then spoken to him one to one. We are not against the children having fun but would like them to show respect to each other.

We eventually linked the two groups together after they had their semi serious swimming of lengths. They had a mini competition of diving into the pool and seeing how far they could go under water on their front and back. This was something they really seemed to enjoy and even the more shy children became involved. Once official play time came about the group still stayed together which waas quite nice to see. These are children who are making friendships purely from attending the swimming club.

At the end of the club two girls had remained in the water after the whistle had been blown. I asked them what they were doing. They had replied that they were staying on for the next club. That is what I call dedication!

Posted by Louise ( 9:20 AM )
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Wednesday Sep 26, 2007

Pretty in pink

During the summer months my son Callum has not attended swimming at all. He has had an extremely busy social life. This week was our first proper week back!

As soon as I arrived at the pool I was accosted by the volunteer in the baby pool. The other person who usually works with her was on holiday. It was a full group as they had just recently recruited some new swimmers.

With my bare feet and rolled up jeans I went to join them. The group were casually swimming up and down with their floats and I was assigned half of them. When they realised it was someone new to them all the little tricks came out, "miss my toe hurts", "miss my goggles hurt", "miss, can I go to the toilet, miss." They started slowing down and I saw lots of little blue lips and shivering bodies. It was very hard trying to keep a straight face and keep them motivated.

The group were then asked to put their floats up. My half unfortunately at this point started lacking in confidence. "I cant do that", "I can't swim!" They kept with their floats and amazingly at play time suddenly dropped them like hot cakes. How unusual!?

At the end of the session one of the girls in the group noticed my toenails which are currently painted fuschia pink. I had earlier in the evening witnessed her mother telling her that "no, she could not have the pink goggles" "she didn't care if it waas her favourite colour." I asked her if she liked my nails and she beamed at me and nodded. Maybe next session I will bring the polish along with me.

Posted by Louise ( 7:52 AM )
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Wednesday Jan 17, 2007

Splashing into 2007

Firstly I need to apologise.  This blogging thing is new to me and I need to get myself motivated!

At the swimming club I attend we had two weeks off over xmas.  Just before the holiday break all the children were treated with a massive inflatable assault course. Massive fun! Once the course is finished you have to slide down into the water. Lots of screams from the younger ones!  They were also treated with a great big bar of dairy milk each. Nothing like starting chrissy hols with a mega sugar fix.

Now it is back to the usual.  Unfortunately it is incredibly quiet.  It should pick up soon with new recruitments.  There are only three groups in the big pool:

beginners
medium
strong and confident.

I have been taking the medium group but one of the volunteers who recently qualified as a swimming instructor has decided she would like to take over.  I had tactfully pointed out that some of the group had less grace than a hippo in water.  Just for the pure comedy factor they have been a great joy to teach.

This left me surplus to requirements and I have just been needed to watch over things.  (Basically one extra body poolside).

The first week I watched the strong and confident swimmers.  All boys in their early teens.  They got me very generously wet which caused one of them to pass comment "Oh look, you look like you've wet yourself"

I decided to take my own sweet revenge and set them the task of trying to remain boyuant in the water with their arms by their sides and their legs held together.  On their fronts they had to wriggle.  

This set off fits of giggles from the medium group.  (All girls of primary school age).  The boys all then resorted to sullen scowls and exclamations of "It's not fair!" and "I'm not doing it!"  I quickly let them off and they went to play dodge ball in the baby pool.  

The second week in I was given three beginners.  I had one boy who was extremely capable and was ready to join the next group.  I pointed this out to him but he shied away from the idea as he realised the next group were all girls.

I then had a young girl who when I first told her what she should be doing shouted over to her mum "Did you hear that? Tell her I can't do it!"  I offered for her to go back to the original teacher.  She soon decided to swim!

My third child was also a girl.  She could barely hold her stroke and was continously stopping.  When I asked her to do back stroke she told the pressure of laying on her back gave her a headache and
she would not do it.  I asked her what she would like to do instead.  She replied with breaststroke.  I asked her to do the equivalent of two lengths.  She barely managed half.

By this time I was feeling thoroughly frustrated and each minute that passed was beginning to feel like an hour.  I decided to do the terrible thing of giving in and gave them an extended playtime.

Oh well, hopefully I will have a more enthusiastic group this coming week.  Fingers crossed! x

Posted by Louise ( 11:00 AM )
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Tuesday Oct 17, 2006

Swim club activities

So what goes on at my club?

Last year three of the other volunteers were funded to get a swim teacher qualification.  This was amazing especially as one of the volunteers now has a job as a lifeguard and swim teacher.  She has recently had a daughter but still finds the time to come down and ocassionally help out.

The club is on a Friday night 6-7pm. When I volunteer I take any of the groups that does not have my son in it.  His confidence in water is amazing.  Sometimes even terrifying!

At six monthly intervals the club has badge night where children are actively encouraged to see what sort of distances they can swim. My son swam six lenghths no stopping.  This was a real feat as last year he could not manage one without stopping.

In a totally different league is a boy of ten years old - his confidence and belief in himself is fantastic.  At the same badge night he was allowed to forfeit the swim and he swam the next day.  Only one hundred lenghths, he had been sponsored and raised a nice sum for a local charity.

I see friday evenings as fun.  Even if we have had a bad week at home their is a positive energy at the club. It has been a valuable source for my son to get rid of his excess energy and for me to remain in contact with some really wonderful people.

Posted by Louise ( 10:21 AM )
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How I became a volunteer

Hi, my name is louise and I have an eight year old son.
We live near a local swimming pool that used to be run by the local council.  The pool is now privately run. Surprised? no neither am I.

Basically at the pool is a swimming club that is run by two females with attitude.  A good attitude that is.  I started going to the club when I was approx ten years old until I was sixteen years old.  

I had my son at the age of eighteen and when he had had all his baby jabs I started to take him swimming.  We did not immediately start out at the local pool because cold is not the right word to describe the temperature.  Freezing is!

The two females who run the club had heard the news that I had my son and were interested to know if I was interested in taking him along.

When he was approx three years old I started taking him to the club and had to go in the pool with him for insurance reasons.  When he reached the grand age of five I no longer needed to go in the pool with him.  

The session is only an hour long and the price parents are charged for their child to attend the club has not gone up majorly since when I first started.

The people who help run the sessions are all volunteers. I am one of the volunteers, which I will be telling you more about in this blog.

Bye for now :-)

Posted by Louise ( 10:15 AM )
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