Swimming in Greenwich

1
Swimming in Greenwich

• Overview
• Pathways
• Answers to your Questions
• Going Forward
• Your Questions

2
Overview

• Change in pool stock
• A Strategy to Get London Swimming
• Audit
• Lack of a pathway
• Postcode lottery
• Quality assurance
• Lack of access to disciplines
• Duplication of resources
• Small numbers going into competitive swimming
• Little integration of disabled swimmers
• Greenwich resident

3
Overview

• Quality assessment by Doug Campbell
• Mixed delivery across borough
• Lack of joined up thinking
• Little ambition
• Clubs wanted to retain identity
• Asked to recommend a pathway that worked for the
  Greenwich resident

4
Pathway Principles

• A pathway from learn to swim to performance which
  maximises retention
• An opportunity to engage in all the aquatic
  disciplines
• A financially sustainable model based on
  partnership

5
Pathways

• Improvement on what we have so far
• Retained club identity / ethos
• Allow clubs to compete in the Speedo League
  (appropriate under LTAD)
• Develops the disciplines
• Inclusive
• Sustainable
• Quality assured
• Successful

6
A House
7
Pathway

• Other models considered
• Borough Squad (Redbridge, Greenwich Meridian,
  Hillingdon Best)
• Club run pathway from learn to swim to
  performance (Camden)
• GLL run pathway from learn to swim to performance
  (Barnet, Leeds, Birmingham)

8
Pathway

• Director of Swimming
• Setting direction
• Fees proposed by New Club, and signed off by the
  Council
• Pool time agreed with GLL / Council
• Funding by London Swimming (50)
• GLL
• Council
• New Club

9
Example Pool Times

• Performance Squad dedicated training time
  5.30-7.30am
• Performance Squad has preferential training time
  at 6.30-8.30pm
• House Night would aim to have majority use of
  pool from 6.30pm onwards with each squad
  programmed in rotation (combined with performance
  squad)

10
Answers to Questions

• Loss of identity and governance by club?
• Governance would be at a borough level. However,
  each House would have a representative on the new
  committee and people could stand for officer
  positions.
• At a House level, there are 3 options open to the
  club as to how they would like to operate.
•  
• All logos, trophies and history can be maintained
  for the House.
• From a resident and consumer point of view prices
  must be standardised across the borough. The
  Greenwich Leisure Card would be used to provide
  discounts.

11
Answers to Questions

• The use of the term House is confusing.
• Please make suggestions

12
Answers to Questions

•   Provided that Coaches can demonstrate to the
  satisfaction of the Club their self-employment
  status, Clubs should not be precluded from
  engaging self-employed coaches.
• Coaches would sign an agreement acknowledging
  their status and responsibility for tax and
  national insurance.
• Five years ago a London Club faced bankruptcy.
  Individual committee members and the club were
  liable. Using the services of self employed
  people is a high risk to clubs and the
  individuals that sit on the committee.

13
Answers to Questions

• The proposed model will require GLL to actively
  promote the pathway into competitive swimming.
  However, historically the flow through of
  swimmers from the GLL LTS programs has been
  extremely poor and we would like to understand
  how this will be addressed under the new
  proposals.
• New National Teaching Plan
• Superviser system to improve fast tracking
• CPD opportunity for teachers
• Working with the clubs
• Create a system to transfer swimmers to club
  (introductions, sign posted taster sessions,
  sharing of teachers/coaches)

14
Answers to Questions

• Currently our masters swimmers are integrated
  within the squad structure for all other
  competitive swimmers and it is not clear from the
  proposed model whether Clubs will still have this
  flexibility or will be required to provide pool
  time dedicated specifically to masters swimmers.
• Yes it can be integratedbut is this appropriate
  to have 30 training with 13 year olds?

15
Answers to Questions

• Not all talented swimmers will want to commit to
  Performance Squad training hours.
• This is to be expected, and the swimmers will be
  catered for in the silver squad, bronze squad,
  social squad or masters squad (if appropriate)
  and continue swimming with the House.
• Will performance squad members still do some
  training with their Club?
• Performance Squad would train at least once a
  week in each centre, close to training times of
  the house silver squad.

16
Answers to Questions

•   A rigid standardisation of the fee structure
  could lead to an uniform menu across the Borough
  which may not cater for all swimmers needs and
  result in swimmers looking to Clubs outside the
  Borough who are more flexible.
• New Club responsible for making sure fees and
  structure are attractive and flexibile

17
Answers to Questions

• The proposal is Council/GLL led and neither has
  any proven experience in running a successful
  swimming club.
• Any pathway must have buy in from the council
  and leisure provider. However, neither GLL or
  the Council would be running the club, but the
  residents of Greenwich would be. Volunteers from
  the current set-up could volunteer for positions
  and each house would have representation.

18
Answers to Questions

• Discipline provision should be catered for by
  the borough
• The new National Teaching Plan for Swimming will
  be implemented in Greenwich. The new plan
  incorporates the disciplines (diving, synchro,
  waterpolo, lifesaving and competitive swimming).
  Therefore, there is an increasing need for
  Greenwich residents to have the opportunity to
  take this forward.
• A synchronised swimmer, must belong to a speed
  swimming club, in order to complete 400m in under
  5mins. A synchronised swimmer needs to be
  training at a ratio of 80 stamina (speed) to 20
  synchro skills.
• Good opportunity to use as a retention tool.
•  
• Keeping it as a side activity run by GLL does
  not demonstrate partnership working, or a joined
  up pathway and duplicates resources.
• Support for establishing the discipline sections
  would be provided.

19
Process Going Forward

• Consultation at each pool
• Consideration of views
• Meeting with all clubs (representatives) to
  define pathway
• Working towards implementation
• Advertising of positions
• Committee structure

20
Pathway Principles

• A pathway from learn to swim to performance which
  maximises retention
• An opportunity to engage in all the aquatic
  disciplines
• A financially sustainable model based on
  partnership