Swim England

A nation swimming

Tailoring The Swimming Offer

Frontier Three of the Swim England Partner Hub is about balancing the needs of your different target audiences with your pool programme.

How can you tailor your pool timetable to meet customer needs?

Click or tap between the tabs below to read some thought-starters and download useful resources.



Is your timetable relevant to your target audiences? (Re-visit your segments or target groups).

Whilst being mindful of your contractual obligations, what are the down times and what are your opportunities?

  • If you have a lot of open water swimming opportunities in your area, can you provide pool training for open water in the winter months?
  • Any seasonal offers e.g. summer holidays or students?
  • Offer more of the LTS framework? What about adult improver sessions?
  • Sessions for different cultural groups?

Swim Englands 11 – 17 Behaviour Change Research provides guidance and insight into key behavioural challenges to engaging with this age group and thought starters for overcoming the challenges. A few of the highlights can be found below. Please refer to the full research for further details.

Funny content young people can share to motivate the group via e.g. Whatsapp, Snapchat, SMS, etc. e.g.:

  • Vines / inspirational video clips – linked to fun, teen sessions
  • Group swim selfies to prime social swimming experience (e.g. on site swim photo booth/cameras – upload selfie straight to social media to share
  • Popular vloggers talking about fun (and added fitness) benefits
  • Loyalty stamps where they can earn rewards with teen appeal – e.g. free/discounted snacks/drinks at leisure centre or nearby teen-friendly outlet
  • Normalise covering up for young people uncomfortable in swimming costumes
ResourceDownload
Ideas for Pool Programming
Case study (CS17)Increasing accessibility (Aquability)
Case study (CS14)Muslim women sessions (Batley)
Aquatic activity for health qualification

Research shows six key characteristics that consumers would like to see across all sessions:

  • Innovative format
  • A social element
  • Clear instructor role
  • Benefits
  • Tailored sessions
  • Progressive

Campaigns/challenges where there is a specific aim to the swim, or utilise swimming to train for an event, could be considered as part of a diverse offer to attract and retain swimmers. Campaigns/Challenges that can be utilised include, but are not limited to:

  • Swimathon – A challenge for everyone. A swim for all. Offers challenges from 400m all the way up to the brand new Triple 5k challenge.
  • Great Swim provides opportunities for thousands of swimmers with exhilarating, challenging and safe events, whatever their age or ability
  • Challenges that include both wetside and dryside elements, such as an ‘Indoor Triathlon,’ can potentially benefit both your customers and your business. The Health and Wellbeing benefits of aquatic activity can complement dryside activity, and by priming customers to utilise the pool as part of their fitness regime can allow additional space within the dryside activities to potentially grow membership.

#LoveSwimming: moving medicine

The swimming sector released a chapter in the #LoveSwimming campaign focussing on the physical health benefits of swimming and the positive impact of ‘prescribing’ swimming to aid a range of medical conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes, Arthritis and chronic pain.

Social Recognition

Strava is a social fitness network, that is primarily used to track exercise.

Get involved and join the Swim England Strava club to begin recording and sharing your top swim times!

ResourceDownload
Case studyHow can we use Swimtag to increase participation
Case study (CS18)Party in the pool (Wave Rave)
Case study (CS2)Encouraging adults aged 50+ to swim
Case study (CS19)Fun, social sessions for young people
Case study (CS20)Pool based fitness classes (Float Fit)
Case study (CS21)How Hydra Health sessions can help Exercise Referrals
Case studyPartner Hub Case Study – Disney at Abraham Darby Sports and Leisure Centre
Case studyPartner Hub Case Study – Disney at Retford Leisure Centre
Case studyPartner Hub Case Study – Disney at Riverside Leisure Centre
Introducing the Water Wellbeing Programmme

Customers like to understand what the session will entail.

  • Clear and consistent naming conventions across all pools in your group, with clear descriptions, supported by video clips. See our ‘Sessions descriptors’ resource.
  • Any special equipment – training fins, goggles? Ensure this information is included in the description
ResourceDownload
Session descriptors


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