Start Para-Swimming Initiative- Funding Available

Start Para-Swimming is the new model which will help provide a seamless pathway from Learn to Swim into your clubs entry point. The initiative is focused on identifying and developing those with an eligible impairment (further details found in the information pack) at stage 4 of the learn to swim framework. Start Para-Swimming is about establishing or using existing pool time to deliver weekly sessions to enhance and develop their skills.

There is a maximum grant of £500 to your club to become a Start Para-Swimming centre. Further details of what can be funded are in the Expression of Interest form (EoI). Swim England has developed resources to help deliver Start Para-Swimming, this includes a 10-12week guide for session plans and flyers to help advertise the sessions. There will also be support through the Swim England Club Development Officer, and from the Para-swimming talent team, for this project.

Please complete the EoI and return to [email protected] by Tuesday 19th November 2019. We will be in contact with you regarding your completed expression of interest by Tuesday 3rd December 2019.

 

Swim England East Region Long Course Championships and Summer Meet 2020

Swim England East Region is today releasing details of its long course competition programme for 2020.

The Region will be running two competitions this season – the 2020 Swim England East Region Long Course Championships in the national qualifying window and the 2020 Swim England East Region Summer Meet in July.

This guidance document provides details of the changes and should be read carefully.

The Schedule, Qualifying Times and Entry Packs for both events can now be found on the Swimming Competitions page.

The Region will be using an online entry system for these events.

The Region has put together some additional information after receiving a number of questions following the launch of the new format. This can be found here. 

Masters Manager Urgently Needed

You may be aware that our current Masters Manager, Sharon Perry, has decided to stand down from the role.  Sharon has done a fantastic job as our Masters Manager over the past three years, but has a busy and demanding job which frequently takes her away from home, and is unable to continue to juggle the masters role with her paid work.

In preparation for our Annual Council Meeting in September, we advertised the post but received no nominations for this role.  Sharon has kindly agreed to stay on in an interim basis to see that this year’s Regional Masters Championships and the Inter-county Competition take place but will be finishing after the competitions conclude in November.

So, the need for the region to find a new Masters Manager is becoming urgent.  If no-one comes forward to take on this role, the regional staff will continue to arrange development events, but there will be no regional masters competitions until we do fill the role.  It is not necessary for the Manager to do everything, there is a Masters Committee to help, but we do need a Manager to pull it all together and to make sure that everything happens.

If you think you might be able to help please look at the role description for this voluntary post and contact Amy Bryant, Regional Development Officer, at [email protected], to discuss the role further or to register your interest in taking the role on.

East Region Success at World Para-Swimming Championships 2019

Over the seven extraordinary days of racing at the Championships in London, swimmers from the East region gave a fantastic performance in the pool, resulting is some superb racing. Jessica- Jane Applegate (City of Norwich SC), Jordan Catchpole (City of Norwich SC), Louise Fiddes (Hatfield SC), and Ellie Challis (Colchester SC) came home with a medal haul of 9 medals, and 2 fourth places. This was a great result for our swimmers. With Fiddes gaining a Championship record in the SB14 100m Breaststroke, and Challis gaining a British record in the S3 50m Breaststroke, as well as a Championship record in the SB2 100m Breaststroke, the swimmers were on top form.

A special thanks to all the volunteers from the East Region that gave up their time to help run the event!

Swim England Launch Stronger Affiliation for Clubs

Swim England is bringing in new compulsory guidelines for its affiliated clubs in a bid to show they have the highest standards of safe and effective practice in place.

The Stronger Affiliation process is being introduced so new and existing members know clubs are well run and their personnel have the necessary safeguarding checks in place to ensure members’ safety. There will be six compulsory pieces of evidence that clubs will submit each year, and these are based around six of the existing SwimMark criteria. More information can be found on the Swim England website.

Swim England East Region New President

The region would like to announce the new East Region President, Mr David Metcalf. David is looking forward to the year ahead. The region would like to thank the outgoing President Mr Chris Vinter, for his time in post over the past year.

Regional Award Winners 2019

A huge congratulations to the winners of the Swim England East Region Awards 2019. Winners were announced at the Annual Council Meeting on 14th September.  These awards are given in recognition of the outstanding work our members put into their sports.  They highlight the dedication and enthusiasm of those that are making a difference.  Thank you to everyone that took the time to nominate, without your help, we could not celebrate our role models in this way.

The winners for 2019 are:

Jeff Cook Salver– Derek Milton, Welwyn Garden Swimming Club

Long Service to Aquatics– John Bellis, South Beds Masters Swimming Club

Coach of the Year– Sue Purchase, St Felix Swimming Club

Club of the Year– Modernian Swimming Club

Technical Official of the Year– Ian Macleod, Southend Diving

Volunteer of the Year– Tom Baster, Basildon & Phoenix Swimming Club

Youth Volunteer of the Year– Canvey Island Swimming Club Youth Volunteering Team

Youth Achievement of the year– Zoe Parnham, Aqualina Synchro Club

Congratulations also goes to those awarded with a Silver Pin this year:

Liam Barnett- City of Cambridge Swimming Club

Lesley Cox- Smith, Leighton Buzzard Swimming Club

Sarah Elmer- Deben Swimming Club

Amanda Hackett- Dunstable Swimming Club

Liam Harvey- Diss Otters Swimming Club

Marion Henthorn- Beaumont Diving Club

Louise Lano- Southend Diving Club

Derek Milton- Welwyn Garden Swimming Club

John North- TeamIpswich Swimming Club

Sharon Perry- West Suffolk Swimming Club

Sally Russell- Mildenhall & District Swimming Club

Jo Young- Modernian Swimming Club

 

 

Reflecting on Summer Swimming Successes

As the majority of our swimmers, parents and coaches are enjoying a well-earned rest over the summer break, we just wanted to put a notice out to say a huge well done to everyone. The end of season summer meets, both British Summer Nationals and the home nation events in England, Scotland and Wales, were all well attended by East Region athletes and clubs. It’s by far been our most successful year in terms of both qualifiers and performances. The regional team are still analysing the large amount of data to come out of the summer events, but with a European Junior title, multiple international representations, a British record and a record number of clubs making the trip to British Summer Nationals, we are certainly very excited to see what this coming season has to offer. Our athletes, coaches and parents have all done an amazing job this year, and we hope everyone is well-rested, refreshed and ready for the excitement of Olympic season! Good luck everyone!

Medals for East Region Swimmers at World Masters Championships

Fifteen swimmers from East Region clubs competed at the FINA World Masters Championships in Gwangju, South Korea between 12th and 18th August.  There were multiple medals for Hannah Ueckermann (Whitham Dolphins) who picked up two gold, one silver and one bronze, and Lucy Ryan (Team Anglia) who collected three bronze medals.  Stuart McLellan (Sudbury) also came home with one gold and one silver medal, with Kitty Craig (Sudbury) winning a bronze medal.

Results for East Region swimmers are available and more information regarding the Championships can be found on the Masters Hub.

Hughes takes European Junior GOLD!

Nathan Hughes (Hatfield SC) returns to the United Kingdom as the International Junior Champion for the 10k Open Water. The 19 year old secured the European title at the LEN European Junior Open Water Swimming Championships 2019 on Saturday 3rd August in the Czech village of Racice, which is north of the country’s capital Prague.

Winning in a time of 1 hour 55 minutes and 49.9 seconds (1:55.49.9), British Swimming said of Hughes “he led the way producing a mature swim, featuring at the spearhead of the race throughout and breaking clear into clean water to claim the gold medal by over a one-second margin from his nearest rival David Huszti from Hungary.”

“The weekend’s championships provided an invaluable stepping stone for our young open water swimmers, who conducted themselves incredibly well throughout.”

The Championship schedule was rounded off on the Sunday with the GBR Mixed Relay Team finishing in 6th place. The GBR Team was mad up of: Emilia Sansome (Wycombe); Maisie Macartney (Thanet), Nathan Hughes (Hatfield) and Hector Pardoe (Ellesmere).