Manukau swim initiative earns national award for excellence in sport and recreation

30th April 2010

The prestigious national award won by Community Swim this week was welcome recognition of the real benefits the project is delivering to tens of thousands of Manukau school children, Brett Jude, CEO of Manukau Leisure Services Limited, said today.

Launched in 2008, Community Swim is operated by Manukau Leisure with the support of the John Walker 'Find Your Field of Dreams' Foundation. Community Swim has provided more than 72,000 free swimming lessons to over 10,000 school students in Manukau.

“This win is a huge credit to the commitment shown by Sir John Walker and all the partners involved to providing new opportunities to young people in Manukau.” Mr Jude said.

“It has been an excellent example of community-minded organisations coming together quickly and effectively in a new way to meet a real community need.” The project is also supported by Watersafe Auckland and Manukau City Council.

Community Swim provides free, professional swimming lessons to school children from over 50 Manukau schools. Students are picked up from school by Manukau Leisure staff in special Community Swim buses [funded by The Lion Foundation] and driven to one of the five aquatic centres Manukau Leisure runs across the city.

This year Community Swim has been expanded to deliver free swimming tuition to Year 5 children as well as Years 3 and 4. The programme is also made available to schools with their own pools onsite.

More information on Community Swim is posted on the Manukau Leisure website, Mr Jude said. Schools interested in taking advantage of the programme should contact centre manager, Mike Ibbertson, at Otara Leisure Centre in the first instance.

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