Clevedon Swimming Club have just been awarded Swim21 Silver Standard Accreditation at Teaching and Skill Development level and are to be congratulated on achieving Swim 21 accreditation.

Accreditation also means that Clevedon S.C will be automatically awarded Sport England’s ‘Clubmark’ thus ensuring equal status with other sports clubs and recognition from key agencies.

Swim21 is the Amateur Swimming Association’s unique ‘Club Development’ programme and clubs who go through the process are now starting to reap the rewards they deserve.

Swim21 was set up in 1999 and aims to act as a planning tool for clubs to help swimmers, teachers / coaches and administrators achieve their full potential. In the South West over 100 clubs have signed up for Swim21 and nationally more than half of the affiliated ASA clubs are involved.

The scheme is particularly focused on the needs of swimmers and strives to provide them with the best possible environment in which to develop. It is regarded as the backbone of the ASA’s development programme. The more a club puts into the process the more it will get out of it.

Swim21 is focused around 4 key areas of development;
· Swimmer Development
· Teacher / Coach Education and Development
· Club Management
· Partnerships

Steve Fivash ASA South West Regional Development Officer said; “I am delighted that Clevedon Swimming Club have achieved Swim21 accreditation –It is so important and significant that swimming clubs demonstrate they are providing quality opportunities for young people and I would encourage all swimming clubs to work through the Swim21 process and discover for themselves the potential it offers”

Gaining Swim21 accreditation involved Clevedon SC working through an auditing and action planning process, and the collection of evidence which is submitted and assessed by the Amateur Swimming Association South West Region Panel, which includes representatives of Sport England and the ASA.

Jackie Hilleard, Sports West Partnership Swimming Development Officer, who has worked with Clevedon through to accreditation said; “Clevedon Swimming Club has established itself as a quality provider of swimming. This achievement is recognition of the dedicated work that they have been doing over the years.
The aim is to get every ASA affiliated club signed up to the programme by 2006. Swim 21 does require a lot of work, paperwork, time and people to do it and there are no quick fix solutions but the rewards are potentially fantastic.”

Graham Feboul
Press Officer

For further information on Swim 21 and Sport England, please follow the Sport England Link on our links page, or alternatively look at the ASA swim 21 page.