Gloucester City Swimming Development, in partnership with Active Gloucestershire, has teamed up to launch a new swimming programme for children with a disability at the GL1 Leisure Centre. The programme, which began on Wednesday 23 April 2008, is funded by ASA (Amateur Swimming Association) PESSCL (PE, School Sport and Club Links) funding and is the first programme of its kind in the South West of England.
The programme is for children between age 8 - 16 who can swim at least 25m unaided and will aim to improve every aspect of each child's swimming, including stroke technique and endurance.
The eventual aim is to establish these sessions as an after-school club, linked to the county's mainstream clubs. Coaches from mainstream clubs will have an involvement in the programme throughout, and may also invite individual swimmers to join mainstream clubs once they have achieved a high enough standard.