Diving in for swim club fun

A SWIMMING club which has been running in Hartlepool for 90 years would like to welcome some new faces.

Hartlepool Swimming Club already has 80 members ranging from three-year-old learners up to 18-year-old national competitors, with all levels of skill in between.

And after recently celebrating nine decades of teaching the youth of the town how to swim and be confident in water, and getting those with a more sporting streak into country-wide competitions, it would like to invite others to join.

So whether it’s swimming for fun, or taking part in contests, Hartlepool Swimming Club is excited to meet some new swimmers.

The club’s head coach Ian Bullock, a married dad-of-four, who works for the NHS, told the Mail: “Basically, we’d like to see some new faces at the club.

“It isn’t just about elite competitors, the life-blood of the club is about the youngest swimmers in it.

“I personally work with all the groups from the young children learning to swim, right up to the national competitors we have. There are opportunities for everybody and we’ve never turned anybody away yet.

“We don’t have a waiting list, we always try to accommodate people. We want to be able to cater for everybody that comes.

“The whole ethos of the club is children and family, it’s very family orientated.”

The club holds its lesson five nights a week, and three mornings, with 12 fully-trained volunteer staff – who are mostly parents of children already at the club – on hand to help.

Dedicated Ian, who travels to the town from his home in Chester-le-Street, added: “We’re increasing our numbers more than we ever have, but more are welcome. We’ve been serving the town for 90 years and we want to be able to continue to do that.

“We want to take people who want to swim for fun and also people who want to compete. It’s a fun club and it’s a successful club. The two go together very well, and that’s what we aim for.”

For further information about swimming lessons, or competing, contact Ian on 07854604903 or email headcoach@hartlepoolsc.co.uk