Swim England National Awards 2025

This award celebrates Swim England affiliated clubs that exemplify the spirit of aquatics through inclusive, ambitious and community driven practice. These clubs go above and beyond to create exceptional experiences both in and out of the water, placing their members at the heart of everything they do.

The Club of the Year awards are discipline-specific, recognising the achievements from Artistic Swimming, Diving, Swimming (including Masters and Para Swimming) and Water Polo, highlighting the unique contributions of clubs across aquatics.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• How member experiences are placed at the club’s core, creating safe and supportive environment
• How the club has strived for excellence in its delivery, development and impact
• How the club proactively supports and develops all members of the club, including participants, coaches and volunteers
• Ways in which the club has built strong connections with the wider community and promoted access to aquatics

Criteria:

• Must be an affiliated Swim England Club or a Section of an affiliated Club

This award celebrates Swim England affiliated clubs that exemplify the spirit of aquatics through inclusive, ambitious and community driven practice. These clubs go above and beyond to create exceptional experiences both in and out of the water, placing their members at the heart of everything they do.

The Club of the Year awards are discipline-specific, recognising the achievements from Artistic Swimming, Diving, Swimming (including Masters and Para Swimming) and Water Polo, highlighting the unique contributions of clubs across aquatics.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• How member experiences are placed at the club’s core, creating safe and supportive environment
• How the club has strived for excellence in its delivery, development and impact
• How the club proactively supports and develops all members of the club, including participants, coaches and volunteers
• Ways in which the club has built strong connections with the wider community and promoted access to aquatics

Criteria:

• Must be an affiliated Swim England Club or a Section of an affiliated Club

This award celebrates Swim England affiliated clubs that exemplify the spirit of aquatics through inclusive, ambitious and community driven practice. These clubs go above and beyond to create exceptional experiences both in and out of the water, placing their members at the heart of everything they do.

The Club of the Year awards are discipline-specific, recognising the achievements from Artistic Swimming, Diving, Swimming (including Masters and Para Swimming) and Water Polo, highlighting the unique contributions of clubs across aquatics.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• How member experiences are placed at the club’s core, creating safe and supportive environment
• How the club has strived for excellence in its delivery, development and impact
• How the club proactively supports and develops all members of the club, including participants, coaches and volunteers
• Ways in which the club has built strong connections with the wider community and promoted access to aquatics

Criteria:

• Must be an affiliated Swim England Club or a Section of an affiliated Club

This award celebrates Swim England affiliated clubs that exemplify the spirit of aquatics through inclusive, ambitious and community driven practice. These clubs go above and beyond to create exceptional experiences both in and out of the water, placing their members at the heart of everything they do.

The Club of the Year awards are discipline-specific, recognising the achievements from Artistic Swimming, Diving, Swimming (including Masters and Para Swimming) and Water Polo, highlighting the unique contributions of clubs across aquatics.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• How member experiences are placed at the club’s core, creating safe and supportive environment
• How the club has strived for excellence in its delivery, development and impact
• How the club proactively supports and develops all members of the club, including participants, coaches and volunteers
• Ways in which the club has built strong connections with the wider community and promoted access to aquatics

Criteria:

• Must be an affiliated Swim England Club or a Section of an affiliated Club

This award honours a Swim England member whose dedication, generosity and passion have made an impact on the aquatics community. Through their selfless contribution, this individual has helped enable safe, enjoyable and successful experiences where everyone feels valued.

The volunteering activity can be at Club, County, Regional or National level. There is no requirement for the nomination to detail activity at every level and the importance is placed on the impact of the volunteering activity.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• How the volunteer demonstrated a clear passion for aquatics
• How they have helped create an inclusive and positive experiences for all
• How they stepped forward to support the delivery of aquatic sports for club members
• How they give their time to support fellow volunteers to create a stronger and more connected aquatic community
• How they have gone above and beyond to make a meaningful difference

Criteria:

• Must be a Swim England member
• Must be actively volunteering in an affiliated Club, County, Regional or National setting on a regular basis
• Must be compliant with Wavepower requirements
• Must be at least 26 years old (volunteers aged 14 to 25 years should be nominated in the Young Volunteer Award)
• Must not be paid

Please note, technical officials should be nominated in Swim England Technical Official of the Year award category.

This award celebrates a young Swim England member who has shown a commitment to volunteering in aquatics at Club, County, Regional or National level. Through their energy, commitment and passion for aquatics, they have helped create meaningful experiences for others and are a great example of a role model for young people in their community.

There is no requirement for the nomination to detail activity at every level, as what truly matters is the impact their volunteering has had on individuals, their community and their sport as a whole.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• How they have demonstrated a clear passion for aquatics and a commitment to helping others enjoy the sport
• How their regular volunteering supports the delivery of aquatic activity
• How they have pursued their desire to learn, grow and develop their skills
• How they have been a positive influence on peers
• Examples of their willingness to support fellow volunteers

Criteria:

• Must be a Swim England member
• Must be actively volunteering in an affiliated Club, County, Regional or National setting on a regular basis
• Must be compliant with Wavepower requirements
• Must be 14 – 25 years of age
• Must not be paid

This award honours a Swim England Technical Official, from any discipline, whose dedication and contributions are considered invaluable to the delivery of events at any level.

The recipient will be someone whose officiating work has made a meaningful and positive impact, serving as an inspiring role model for others.

Volunteering may take place at Club, County, Regional or National level. While it is not necessary to demonstrate involvement at every level, the emphasis is placed on the significance and impact of their officiating contributions.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• How they have stepped forward to support the delivery of aquatic events at Club, County, Regional or National level
• How they have committed to their own personal development and pursuing excellence through their training
• How they have supported others in their training and development, either formally or informally
• How they have supported fellow technical officials and participants to have a great event experience
• A passion for the sport that inspires others to get involved in officiating

Criteria:

• Must be a Swim England member
• Must hold a recognised Technical Official qualification or certification relevant to their role and activity
• Must be Officiating on a regular basis
• Can be any age
• Must not be paid

This award celebrates a coach who has created a welcoming, inclusive and empowering environment for people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy aquatics. Through their coaching, they have opened doors to ongoing participation and helped individuals to have great experiences in water, leading to enhanced wellbeing.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• How the coach has created a welcoming environment
• How the coach has embedded an inclusive environment
• How their coaching has created enjoyment and contributed to improved wellbeing

Criteria:

• Must be a Swim England member
• Can be a paid or voluntary coach
• Must hold a recognised coaching qualification or certification relevant to their role and activity
• Must be coaching on a regular basis
• Can be any age

This award recognises a coach who has created a fun, safe and inspiring environment for children aged up to 16 years old to learn, grow and fall in love with aquatics. Their approach has led to great levels of participation, retention in the sport and created great experiences for every child in the water.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• How the coach has created a fun, positive and enjoyable environment
• How the coach has delivered great experiences that keep children engaged and motivated, leading to great levels of participant retention
• How the coach has adapted their coaching delivery to meet the individual needs of each child

Criteria:

• Must be a Swim England member
• Must hold a recognised coaching qualification or certification relevant to their role and activity
• Can be a paid or voluntary coach
• Must be coaching on a regular basis
• Can be any age

This award celebrates a coach, working within the national talent pathway, who has skilfully created a person-centred learning environment.

The coach will have been compassionate and attentive to people needs, challenging and supporting athletes as individuals. Positive outcomes will have been achieved by coaching the athlete to be a better learner.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• How the coach has created a person-centred learning environment
• How the coach is attentive to their athlete’s needs, challenging and supporting them as individuals
• Examples of positive outcomes and how they have helped their athletes to improve

Criteria:

• Must be a Swim England member
• Must hold a recognised coaching qualification or certification relevant to their role and activity
• Can be a paid or voluntary coach
• Must be coaching on a regular basis
• Can be any age

The Awards are given to the individuals or organisations making the most outstanding contribution to aquatics at Club, County, Regional, National or International level. In selecting the winners, consideration is given to:

• Outstanding achievement in advancing the sport through competition / coaching / officiating
• Outstanding achievement in the administration of the sport
• Outstanding achievement in advising the sport

This award recognises coaches who have led athletes towards international success, achieving outstanding competitive results (individual or team). They will have skilfully designed a performance environment that has led to holistic athlete development and have demonstrated the upmost integrity and values in the pursuit of performance.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• What results the athletes or team have achieved
• How have these results been achieved, including holistic outcomes
• The values led approach this coach has taken to achieve these goals and to create a safe, enjoyable and successful experience for their athletes

Criteria:

• Must be a Swim England member
• Must hold a recognised coaching qualification or certification relevant to their role and activity
• Can be a paid or voluntary coach
• Must be coaching on a regular basis
• Can be any age

This award will be given to a mentor or developer who has supported a coach to make meaningful and sustainable change. This input will have led to improvements in effective and / or ethical coaching practice.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• How the person has met the coach’s needs
• How they have led the way and changed a coach’s work through their mentoring and guidance
• How their coaching practice is more effective and ethical to enable a safer and more successful experience

Criteria:

• Must be a Swim England member
• Must be mentoring / supporting a Swim England Member
• Can be any age

This award recognises a teacher who consistently provides quality lessons (including proficient demonstrations of technical knowledge) in a fun and dynamic way, demonstrating excellent communication skills throughout. Through their creativity, care and commitment, they bring learning to life, creating lessons that inspire confidence and lifelong love of the water.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• A participant focused approach, showing an ability to meet the needs of varied learners
• How does the teacher go the extra mile to deliver the best quality and inclusive learning experience
• How does the teacher set an example, leading the way as someone future swimming teachers aspire to be like
• Examples of a fun, dynamic and inclusive approach to teaching swimming
• How does the teacher provide support and mentoring to other swimming teachers and swimming assistants
• How has the teacher continued to seek ongoing personal / professional development

Criteria:

• Must be a Swim England (or formerly ASA) qualified swim teacher
• Must be delivering one or more of the four frameworks within the Swim England Learn to Swim Programme (Pre-School Framework, Learn to Swim Framework, Aquatic Skills Framework, or Adult Swimming Framework)
• Can be any age

Please note – Selected candidates may be subjected to an observation and / or follow-up call from Swim England learn to swim team.

This award recognises a swim school that consistently provides quality lessons (including proficient demonstrations of technical knowledge) in a fun and dynamic way, delivering exceptional experience to all their participants and also focusing on the development of their swim teachers.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• Examples of the offer that has quality, fun, progression and inclusion at its heart
• Examples of a participant focused approach that focuses on the progression of participants and their staff
• Evidence of strong commitment to inclusivity, safeguarding and welfare to create great experiences for all their learners
• Tangible evidence of innovative and inspiring ways of delivering Learn to Swim sessions
• Evidence of continual professional development for swimming teachers

Criteria:

• Must be an active Swim England Swim School Member
• Must be delivering lessons in one or more of the four frameworks within the Swim England Learn to Swim Programme (Pre-School Framework, Learn to Swim Framework, Aquatic Skills Framework, or Adult Swimming Framework)
• The Swim School must offer / reward learners with Swim England Awards

Please note: The shortlisted Swim Schools may receive a call and a visit from a Swim England Assessor as part of the judging process.

This award recognises an organisation which has made a demonstrable contribution to health improvement and health outcomes through swimming or aquatic activity. By building strong health partnerships and creating inclusive and accessible opportunities, the nominee will be able to show how they have helped individuals with long term health conditions or impairments overcome specific barriers to participation. The nominee should be able to outline how their work has had a measurable impact on health and wellbeing outcomes and explain the wider impact and value of this change to individuals and communities.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• How local data and insight has shaped their approach and supported continuous improvement
• Who the key beneficiaries are and what benefits have been observed and measured
• The challenges faced and examples of good practice that have helped to overcome them
• The value of this work to local partners and the aquatics community, e.g. partnerships created, social value, return on investment, etc.
• Inclusion of wider options and specific exit strategies to encourage independent activity outside any formal / structured support

Criteria:

• Must outline examples of high-quality aquatic opportunities created and how the offer was made to be accessible, inclusive and welcoming to the target beneficiaries

This award celebrates exceptional individuals, schools, lesson providers, clubs or organisations who have made a positive impact on school swimming and water safety, either locally or nationally. Through their dedication, creativity and commitment, these schools are truly passionate about improving school swimming programmes and have demonstrated significant achievements in this area.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• An outstanding commitment to ensuring that all children have the skills and knowledge they need to stay safe in, on and around water by supporting or delivering fun, engaging and innovative school swimming opportunities
• Examples of inclusive practices that give every pupil the chance to succeed
• Examples of delivering high quality, inclusive school swimming and water safety lessons
• Investment in training and development to support the delivery of school swimming lessons
• Shows evidence of innovative ways of delivering school swimming and water safety lessons, for example; improving pupil experience, increasing active learning time within lessons or taking a transformative approach to lessons
• Excellent reporting of the year 6 School Swimming and Water Safety curriculum requirements and the improvement made by pupils

Criteria:

• Must be currently signed up to the Swim England School Swimming and Water Safety Charter
• Are actively using the Swim England School Swimming and Water Safety Charter Award Scheme

This award recognises an Educator who consistently surpasses the day-to-day requirements of their role for the benefit of their learners. Through inclusive, high-quality delivery and a commitment to continuous improvement they help shape the future of aquatics, developing confident teachers, coaches, volunteers and leaders.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• How the educator is committed to understanding and meeting diverse needs
• How the educator fosters an inclusive and supportive learning environment where every learner feels valued
• Examples of innovative course delivery that helps inspire the learners to create great experiences for the aquatics community
• Evidence of continual professional development
• Examples of delivering high-quality, inclusive courses

Criteria:

• Nominations are open to all Educators who deliver any Swim England training
• Must hold a current Swim England Educator license or be a volunteer presenter

This award recognises a club, affiliated swim school, operator or Approved Training Centre (ATC) connected to Swim England, which has championed Swim England’s vision and furthered inclusion and diversity within aquatics.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• Demonstrable examples of impacting positive change and commitment to making aquatics more accessible
• Examples of engagement with underrepresented communities to help dissolve the barriers that prevent engagement in aquatics
• Evidence of impact on the individuals involved and how it helped improve their experience in aquatics
• Examples of high quality, inclusive and engaging practices

Criteria:

• Must be a Swim England member or a Swim England affiliated club, Swim England Qualifications approved training centre, affiliated swim school or operator

This award celebrates exceptional innovation, creativity and dedication in enhancing experiences in an aquatics setting. It recognises operators and owners who have developed and implemented pioneering programmes, offers or campaigns that have successfully attracted individuals to swimming facilities, resulting in a measurable increase in aquatic engagement.

Nominees should have demonstrated:

• Examples of innovative programmes or delivery of unique initiatives that have effectively drawn new participants to swimming pools
• Clear evidence of increased participation and engagement in aquatic activity as a result of their programmes and campaigns
• The development of programmes that are not only successful but are also sustainable with long-term benefits for the community

Criteria:

• Must be a recognised operator or owner of facilities
• Can be an operator or owner of any size