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 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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