Jane Nickerson urges Minister for Sport to review over 18s club training ruling

Swim England chief executive, Jane Nickerson, has raised the concerns surrounding the delay in allowing over 18 club sessions with the Minister for Sport, Nigel Huddleston.

Under the roadmap announced by the Government on 22 February, whilst indoor swimming pools and all under 18 activity can reopen from step two, organised adult indoor sport is not able to return until step three.

At a meeting of the DCMS Sport Working Group, chaired by the Minister for Sport, Jane raised the situation facing Swim England’s over 18 club swimmers, divers, water polo players and artistic swimmers.

The Minister was urged to review the decision and consider bringing forward the resumption of these activities to step two, which would be no earlier than 12 April, in comparison to the current date of no earlier than 17 May.

Jane said: “Whilst the roadmap announcement was broadly positive for our sports, with outdoor facilities the first to open from 29 March and indoor pools among the first indoor facilities allowed to reopen as part of step two, we are only too aware that is not the case for our over 18 members who were not included.

Under review

“I was therefore pleased to take this opportunity to raise the situation facing our over 18 members directly with the Minister and his officials at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and to again urge the Government to keep this situation under review and bring forward the return to the water for over 18 club sessions into step two.”

In his response, the Minister paid tribute to the lobbying efforts of Swim England and other sporting organisations, stating: “It was thanks to the way you made the case that we were able to open up facilities in step two.”

Officials at the meeting agreed to keep the situation for over 18 activities under review and to discuss this issue with Swim England further.

Jane added: “We will keep making the case on behalf of our older club members across all our disciplines.”