It is only six months since the swim school opened at Hillbrow Health and Wellbeing but the recent swell in new members has exceeded expectations.
This comes after a survey by Sport England highlighted a decline in the number of children aged 5 to 16 years who can swim 25m unaided. The current level of 60% of children achieving this milestone is 4.7% fewer than in the academic year 2017/18, according to its Active Lives Children and Young People Survey.
However, youngsters in Eastbourne appear to be bucking this national trend.
“It’s fantastic to see such enthusiasm for swimming lessons here in Eastbourne,” said Duncan Kerr, Chief Executive of Wave Active, which operates Swim School at Hillbrow.
“Learning to swim is a vital life skill, not only for enjoying our local beaches safely but also because it can genuinely save lives. We’re proud to be providing this essential service to the community.”
Swim School at Hillbrow is part of Hillbrow Health and Wellbeing which opened in August 2024 under joint operation by Wave Active and South Downs Health & Care.
Mr Kerr added: “We are delighted to have reached the 100-milestone of members in just six months and this high level of participation is also testament to the hard work and expertise of our instructors.
“Seeing so many people of all abilities gain confidence skills in the water is incredibly rewarding and we’re excited to welcome even more swimmers in the future.”
or more details about Swim School at Hillbrow, visit https://hillbrowhealthandwellbeing.org/activities/swimming/wave-swim-school/