Kennet District Council in Wiltshire is the latest organisation to implement the asa Kellogg’s Awards Scheme throughout its pools.

The new deal formalises the relationship with the national governing body to work in partnership to implement the highest quality awards system and looks set to benefit more than 1,400 children and adults that currently access swimming lessons across the council’s three leisure centres at Tidworth, Marlborough and Devizes.

As part of the deal the council will receive additional support and advice from the asa’s Business Team and will work towards Aquamark accreditation – the asa’s quality seal of approval for leisure providers.

The centres at Marlborough and Devizes have been providing swimming lessons for the local community for the last twenty years.  Tidworth Leisure Centre, being in a garrison town, was funded and built by the Ministry of Defence eight years ago and is run by Kennet District Council in partnership with the military. Each centre plays host to a local swim club and holds regular meetings and swimming gala’s.

Paula Winchcombe, Chairman of the Council’s Community Development Sub Committee believes the new deal will greatly improve the quality of swimming lessons all three pools.

“The asa awards do help to motivate the children, receiving a badge and certificate at the end of term is something they look forward to as a mark of their own personal achievement.  Kennet Swim School is proud to be working in partnership with the asa, the best known swimming organisation, to provide the FUNdamentals of swimming and the journey through aquatics.  Swimming is a life skill which with support and safe participation encourages a more active lifestyle.”

The asa Business Team Manager Mandy Mason welcomes Kennet District 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 Kennet District Council’s swim scheme and our Business Team will be working closely with them to ensure they build on their current success whilst using the asa Kellogg's Awards Scheme.'

Bruce Learner, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Kellogg’s, said: “Since our partnership with the asa began in 1997, more than 13 million swimming awards have been presented to youngsters across the country, making it the most successful awards scheme in British sport. We will be celebrating this success at the Kellogg’s Swimtastic Awards in October, which recognises those pool based projects that benefit the community the most.”

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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