Bernard Simkins
Bernard became a member of Stourbridge Swimming Club in the 1960s. His active involvement began when he was asked to join the club committee, and in 1996 he became Fixtures Secretary. He has subsequently held the position of Club Secretary and was Chairman for five years.
In 1997 he became Open Meet Secretary and has since successfully organised 25 licensed open meets. He was also actively involved in helping the club to be one of the first in the country to gain Swim 21 accreditation in 2002.
As an active official and a qualified referee he has officiated at all levels up to Midland Championships and continues to mentor new officials. He has a keen interest in IT and has run the club web site for the last five years.
Bernard was a club delegate to Worcester County and became a member of the County Officials Committee, before being asked to become the Worcester County Representative on the ASA WMR Board and a Worcester County Management Board Member – posts he has held for over five years.
Bernard has always championed grassroots swimming, not only as the gateway to the sport and serious competition, but as a creator of long-lasting friendships. He is still actively involved at club level.
Outside of swimming, Bernard studied at Aston University, gaining an honours degree in Mechanical Engineering. He initially worked for a major British yacht builder but for the last 30 years he has managed his own engineering company in the West Midlands making steel fabrications for the World Coal Mining Industry. For relaxation he enjoys holidays with his wife and family in Devon, and sailing on the river Dart and offshore.
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