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September 2002

BANK OF SCOTLAND SWIMFEST Coming To A Pool Near You!

Scottish Commonwealth Games swimming medallists, Alison Sheppard (Gold & Bronze) and Gregor Tait (Silver), have joined Bank of Scotland and Scottish Swimming, plus a group of young beginners, to launch ‘Bank of Scotland Swimfest’ - a national promotion to encourage more than 5000 primary school children to take the plunge in a fun and safe environment.
 

Bank of Scotland Swimfest will be coming to Alness Grammar School on 16th October, Locahaber Leisure Centre on 21st October and Wick Swimming Pool on 23rd October. Parents/guardians can register by contacting the dedicated Swimfest hotline on 01786 466 532 or by logging on to www.scottishswimming.com 

Building on the momentum of recent success at the Commonwealth Games, Scottish Swimming, national governing body for swimming in Scotland, and Bank of Scotland are keen to introduce youngsters to core swimming and lifesaving skills at the earliest possible stage.
 

Paul Bush, Chief Executive at Scottish Swimming commented: ‘Swimming has a huge role to play in encouraging healthy lifestyles and we are very aware that we must influence patterns of physical activity at the earliest possible age. Scottish Swimming and Bank of Scotland are working in partnership to ensure every child in Scotland has the opportunity of learning to swim before the age of 10.’

George Mitchell, Treasurer and Managing Director, Bank of Scotland added: ‘Bank of Scotland Swimfest is an exciting initiative offering children the chance to learn the essential skills of swimming and gain confidence in the water in an informal and safe environment.

‘Swimfest complements our existing relationship with Scottish Swimming by introducing kids to the water, from there they can progress through to the award-winning Bank of Scotland Learn to Swim Programme, and after that…perhaps the serious swimmers can emulate the success of today’s stars, Alison Sheppard and Gregor Tait, when they won medals for the Bank of Scotland Team at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester last month!’

For further information please contact: Sharon McLaughlin, Carnegie Worldwide Ltd.

Tel: 0131 338 6891 or Sarah Birrell, Scottish Swimming, tel: 01786 466 520.

More Information On Bank Of Scotland Swimming

· Bank of Scotland Swimfest will take place at Alness Grammar School on 16th October, Locahaber Leisure Centre on 21st October and Wick Swimming Pool on 23rd October. Parents/guardians can register their child by telephoning 01786 466 532, a dedicated Swimfest hotline number.

· Alison Sheppard and Gregor Tait competed as part of the Bank of Scotland Scottish Team at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester with Sheppard winning gold in 50m Freestyle and bronze in 50m Butterfly and Tait winning silver in 200m Backstroke.

· Bank of Scotland is the largest commercial sponsor of youth sport in Scotland and this year nearly 20,000 young people will take part in youth development projects supported by Bank of Scotland - to find out more visit www.hbosplc.com

· Scottish Swimming was founded in 1888 with the aim of providing the best swimming teaching and competition opportunities possible for the people of Scotland. Scottish Swimming’s mission is to “provide world class opportunities and services to its membership and partners”.

· Scottish Swimming are one of the leading governing bodies of sport in Britain with a membership of over 16 000 and are based at the new National Swimming Academy in Stirling. For further information please visit www.scottishswimming.com

· Scottish Swimming and Bank of Scotland scooped top honours for the Bank of Scotland Learn to Swim Programme, in the category for Best Sponsorship For Young People, at the 2nd sportscotland Business in Sport Dinner (April 2002).

· Launched in 2000, the Bank of Scotland Learn to Swim Programme has been adopted by 28 Local Authorities and the majority of swimming clubs across Scotland as the national standard.

· The Bank of Scotland Adult and Child Programme has been designed to dovetail into the Learn to Swim Programme and introduces under-fives to the water.

· The impact of the Adult and Child Programme has been so significant that Scottish Swimming, supported by Bank of Scotland, aims to ensure that every child in Scotland has the opportunity to learn to swim by the age of 10.

· The Bank of Scotland Flying Start Programme brings together and nurtures our excellent young swimmers, divers, water polo players, synchronised swimmers and swimmers with a disability. The programme, delivered to 20 squads across Scotland, provides a common curriculum to ensure consistent standards are reached in the bid to produce future champions like Alison Sheppard and Gregor Tait.

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