Angela from Angela’s Swim School shares why it has been so important to her to create Get2Swim in collaboration with We Are Beams.
Get2Swim is helping Beams member families with children under 12 years with ADHD and/or ASD, who are unable to take part in mainstream swimming lessons. The programme is now in its second term and is proving to be a resounding success, with participating children showing remarkable progress and thoroughly enjoying learning to swim.
“When you know how impactful and important learning to swim can be you want as many people as possible to be able to do it. As a former Team GB competitive swimmer, who’s been involved with swim teaching for almost 30 years, I want to bring as many children into swimming as I can.
And there’s a very personal side to this for me as well. As a mum to an adopted daughter with ASD or ADHD I know how hard it can be for schools to extend curriculum swimming lessons to children with these conditions. In fact, my daughter Katie was only able to take lessons with her school because as a trained swimming instructor I attended with her.
These children have particular learning needs, high levels of curiosity and an inability to accurately judge risks which means they are often excluded from learning to swim if attending mainstream schools. Not only do they miss out from a lifesaving and health & fitness perspective they are prevented from enjoying the therapeutic and calming experience of safely being in water.
If swimming is an option, children with ASD and ADHD typically find group lessons overwhelming, preferring to work in a quiet environment with a teacher on a 121 basis. However, 121 lessons can be difficult to find and come at a price point that may not be accessible for everyone.
Running my own swim school, I feel I am in a strong position to do something about this. That’s why I have reached out to Kent-based children’s charity We Are Beams. The charity does amazing work supporting children with a range of disabilities and is there for their families too. In fact, they were there for me when Katie came into my life; teaching me how to help her thrive educationally and navigating me through to ensure Katie’s schools provided her with the help she needed.”
You can support the Get2Swim Programme by making a donation here.
Take a moment to listen to Angela Wilson from Angela’s Swim School and We Are Beams Head of Charity, Katrina Adams on Made in Kent Radio.