Community Swim

Community Swim offers free, professional swimming lessons to primary school kids in Manukau.

In its first year, Community Swim provided swim lessons to more than 7500 children from 58 Manukau schools. In 2010, Community Swim is being expanded to include Year 5 children as well as Years 3 and 4.

Community Swim is made possible by the John Walker ‘Find Your Field of Dreams’ Foundation, Manukau Leisure and The Lion Foundation. We are also assisted by Swimsation who provide professional tuition.

This learn to swim programme takes away any barriers teachers and schools face in providing basic yet essential swimming and water safety skills. Students are picked up from school in the Community Swim buses and driven to one of Manukau Leisure’s five aquatic centres where they receive seven swimming lessons.

What schools say about Community Swim

“Students at our school have benefited greatly from the free swimming lessons. There has been a marked improvement in their confidence as well as their swimming skills.”
- Anchorage Park Primary School principal, Lynne Keohane

“Because our school doesn’t have a pool, the free swimming lessons have been a great opportunity for our youngsters, many of whom had not previously experienced swimming in a pool. Their confidence in the water has grown, they are eager to learn more and we have found an almost full attendance at school on the swim days.”
- Holy Cross senior teacher, Pat Helsham

Register your school for free swimming lessons

Community Swim lessons are delivered at Lloyd Elsmore Park Leisure Centre, Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Leisure Centre in Mangere, Papatoetoe Centennial Pools and the Manurewa Aquatic Centre.

New school registrations are handled by the Centre Manager at the Otara Leisure Centre. Phone (09) 274 6917 or send an enquiry and we’ll contact you.