A programme for disabled children to get better access to swimming in Enfield has been awarded £10,000.
Enfield Council’s Active Enfield team, the Joint Service for Disabled Children and Integrated Learning Disability Service and Fusion Lifestyle have received the award from the London Sport Together Fund to help increase the number of disabled children who are able to have swimming lessons at leisure centres in the borough.
It will also provide subsidised usage for disabled families at disability-only swimming sessions. In addition, the money will provide training to swimming teachers to build their confidence in teaching swimming to people with disabilities.
Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Spaces, Cultures and Local Economy, Cllr Chinelo Anyanwu, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this money. It’s really important to make sure swimming is accessible to everyone in Enfield and these funds will go a long way to making this happen. We are breaking down barriers to make sure everyone has access to sport and we are striving to drive down inequalities in physical activity in our borough.”
Fusion Lifestyle’s Head of Sports and Community Development, Gareth Heard, added: “At Fusion we believe in providing accessible facilities for everyone and we are excited that this funding will help improve access to swimming for disabled children and their families and help give our swimming teachers access to more training too.”
Swimming has recently received a much-needed boost in Enfield. During the summer holidays, Enfield Council funded free swimming sessions for the under 16s at the borough’s five Council-owned pools. Thousands of swimming sessions took place for free between July and August.
And there was also swimming success for Enfield’s athletes in the 2022 Youth Games. Enfield took the female team silver and male 25-metre freestyle bronze medals in the para swimming competition.
To find out more about disabled swimming in Enfield, email sport@enfield.gov.uk.