Gloucester City Council is the latest organisation to sign up to implement the asa’s National Plan for Teaching Swimming (NPTS) at its magnificent complex of four pools at Gloucester Leisure Centre (GL1).

The National Plan will run alongside the asa Kellogg’s Awards Scheme and looks set to benefit over 1,700 pupils that currently access swimming lessons at the centre via busy swim school and schools programmes.

The annual contract further cements the relationship between the council and the national governing body and the agreement to use the NPTS, a template for learn to swim schemes, means the centre will use the highest quality syllabus and awards system.  The plan is a comprehensive and progressive teaching programme based upon sound technical and educational principles.

The National Plan has been in operation at the centre following a £14 million refurbishment programme part funded by the National Lottery.  It boasts a total of four pools, which provide a variety of sessions from beginners and splashers to serious swimmers, with the main 25m pool hosting both national and international swimming events.

The school swimming programme has been particularly effective in forming strong links with the local community – for example one local Muslim school have benefited greatly, transforming their pupils from all non-swimmers to a large group that are able to swim well and regularly bring along other members of their families to learn to swim also.

Gloucester City Council Swimming Development Officer Julie Shepherd is very proud of the facilities and programmes on offer at the centre and believes the new deal will benefit the whole community.

“We chose to work alongside the asa as they offer a national teaching plan and an awards scheme which is well structured and enables our customers to progress and achieve a mix of aquatic skills. They also gain a valuable life skill which can open many doors for fun and further learning in other aquatic disciplines.”

The asa Business Team Manager Mandy Mason welcomes Gloucester City Council on board.

"The asa is committed to providing our partners with the support they need to deliver quality learn to swim programmes,” she said.  “We are pleased to welcome Gloucester City Council’s Swim Scheme at GL1 and our Business Team will be working closely with them to ensure they build on their current success whilst using the National Plan for Teaching Swimming and the asa Kellogg's Awards Scheme."

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For more information contact the asa PR Assistant Claire Freeman on 01509 632238 or email claire.freeman@swimming.org

The asa is the English National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Open Water, and Synchronised Swimming. It organises competition throughout England, establishes the Laws of the Sport and operates comprehensive certification and education programmes for Teachers, Coaches and Officials as well as its renowned Learn To Swim Awards scheme. The asa supports 1,220 affiliated swimming clubs through a National/Regional/County structure. The asa aims to ensure everybody has an opportunity to learn to swim.

The asa Kellogg’s Awards Scheme is the most successful awards scheme in British sport and issues around two million awards every year to swimmers all around the world.

For more information about the asa Awards please see www.swimming.org