Somerset ASA News

Somerset trio selected for European Juniors

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:05:00 +0100

Guy, Knight and Maughan all members of a 30 strong GBR Team

Millfield's James Guy and Joel Knight, along with Amelia Maughan now training as a member of the Bath ITC have all been selected to form part of a 30 strong Great Britain team to compete at the European Junior Championships to be held 4-8 July 2012 at Antwerp, Belgium. With Olympic places still up for grabs and these guys recent performance times who knows what might happen. For details and to keep in touch with the Championships click here

Heather Beale

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:09:00 +0100

It is with sadness and regret that we have to inform you of the passing of Heather Beale.

Many of you will be aware that Heather was diagnosed with cancer shortly after her appointment in September 2011 as administrator for the Region, a post from which she resigned in January to focus, in her words, ‘on fighting her illness’.

Prior to her appointment, she had spent many years alongside her husband Terry as a volunteer in various roles for Taunton Deane Swimming Club of which she was a founder and life member. One of these roles was as Swim21 co-ordinator and her knowledge and experience in this field led to her appointment to the Region’s Swim21 panel earlier in 2011.

Our thoughts are with Terry, her family and friends, especially those who knew her at Taunton Deane.

Heather's funeral will take place at Taunton Crematorium, (Wellington New Road, Taunton TA1 5NE) on Wednesday 23 May 2012 at 12.30pm.

The family have requested no flowers with donations to go to St Margarets Hospice, Taunton or direct to www.justgiving.com/Mel-Beale

Somerset ASA 110th Annual General Meeting

Fri, 04 May 2012 16:44:00 +0100

Street SC and SASA to host 110th AGM at Walton on 26 May 2012

Somerset ASA will hold the 110th Annual General Meeting of the Association at Walton Village Hall on Saturday 26th May 2012. A buffet hosted by Street SC, will follow the formality, which will give you time to chat with like minded aquatic supporters from across the County about your club, affiliated members and issues concerning development or management for the future. All the County Officers will also be there so as to update you on the current situation relating to their expertise and help with club or member related matters.

John Farrant (Chard), the current President of SASA, in company with the President for the ensuing twelve months, Graham Cockill (Street & District), and President-Elect Fiona Bowen (Clevedon), look forward to welcoming you to the event!

Agenda

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Minutes of the 109th AGM

SASA 2012-2013 Diary

Graham Cockill

British Swimming Open Water Officials Training

Thu, 03 May 2012 15:51:00 +0100

A course for all in Bristol

Who: ASA South West Region

What: British Swimming Open Water Officials Level 1 course

When: Sunday 3 June 2012

Where: Henleaze Lake, Bristol

The course is for people who have not done any Open Water officiating before, also for those who have helped at events but not got a formal qualification. Open Water Officials who are already qualified are also welcome as it will serve as a very useful refresher and update on the rules.

The course is free, but you will need to bring a cheque for £8 to apply to become registered with British Swimming as an Open Water Official’s candidate. We will start at 10am and expect to finish by 3pm.

If you are interested please contact Alan Withers arwithers@aol.com or 01458 448129

ASA South West improve communication

Thu, 03 May 2012 15:46:00 +0100

Staffing, the Board and new Website explained

The ASA South West Region have recently upgraded communication and hope that the following information assists you with the Regional Director on maternity leave until 10 September 2012.

Regional Staff

The Regional Office is staffed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10am – 4pm by Regional Administrator Samantha Parker, she can be contacted on the main office number of 01823 666792 samantha.parker@swimming.org. Outside of these times, other Regional staff may be working from the office, however, coverage will vary on a week by week basis.

The Regional Development Co-ordinator Jackie Hilleard, is the lead contact for clubs and is the first point of contact for any club development queries within the region. Jackie will be supporting clubs through the entire Swim 21 process and is the link officer for Swim 21 club networks and Young Volunteers projects. Jackie can be contacted on 07919 211749 or via jackie.hilleard@uwe.ac.uk.

The Regional Projects Administrator Leanne Douglas, works from home and her hours of work are Monday to Thursday 10am – 2pm. Leanne has specific responsibility around the administration of the Regional bursary scheme, British Gas club grants and swim 21 administration. She can be contacted on 07765 828180 or via leanne.douglas@swimming.org.

The Regional team of Aquatic Officers are focused upon working with our leisure operators and increasing participation in swimming as an activity.

Role of the Regional Management Board

The Regional Management Board are currently looking at how we can support the regional membership and will be hosting consultation sessions with the membership in October. This is hoped to shape the direction of the region for the coming 4 years, 2013-2017. To understand the needs and priorities of the regional membership is crucial to enable the Regional Management Board to manage the sport and resources effectively to the benefit of the region. Any queries should be directed to Sue Dors, Chair of the Management Board on 01934 843532 sue@latifa-estates.co.uk.

Regional Website

The Regional Website has been revamped to improve communication. Members are asked to request a log in to the site, as there is a raft of information which is secured by a log in. Ensuring information on the website is current is an ongoing task and we would ask the membership to send any updates or information which may be of value or comments to Samantha.parker@swimming.org.

Dreams can come true with your vote

Thu, 03 May 2012 09:29:00 +0100

Yeovil District Swimming Club is shortlisted for a share of a £15000 charity jackpot and needs your vote by 5pm 18 May.

The 30 finalists have been revealed in the Wish Cash For Your Community Campaign run by the Western Gazette and Yeovil Round Table. And you can decide what slice of the £15,000 charity jackpot each finalist will receive.

The panel of judges consisted of Yeovil Round Table vice-chairman Jon Majeika, secretary Steve Farnham, longest-serving member Mark Porter and Lynne Fernquest, editor of the Western Gazette.

The 30 nominations in the shortlist will all receive a guaranteed £100 donation, but this could become a much bigger pile of cash – depending on the amount of votes they get.

The group which receives the most votes will be given an incredible £5,000 to develop their projects and continue to make a difference in the local community. The runner-up will receive £3,000 and the third-place group will win £1,500.

To vote for Yeovil District Swimming Club (the money would be spent on developing staff) use CODE:10 before the deadline 5pm on Friday, 18 May 2012.

Applications are invited for Kellogg’s Swim Active Fund

Tue, 01 May 2012 14:20:00 +0100

Find out if you are eligible to apply and download the application form.

In April the ASA were able to highlight that through the Kellogg’s Swim Active fund, Kellogg’s has been able to direct more than £140,000 into community swimming across 19 projects.

While it is fantastic to offer support to these wonderful projects across the country the partners in the Kellogg’s Swim Active Program, Kellogg’s, the ASA and the Swimming Trust were not happy that investment was only able to be given to 5% of the total number of applications received. In light of this information a decision has been taken to narrow the application criteria to avoid applicants wasting their time on submissions.

The level of demand for grants has been exceptional in previous rounds, with a heavy focus on applications around school swimming. With this in mind the application criteria has been narrowed down to focus on learn to swim projects. Application guidance information has been available since April to allow interested applicants more time to prepare their submission.

Since publishing the guidance information and providing a more narrowed focus, the Swim Active Team has received comments from interested applicant regarding the length of time provided for application submissions and the timing of delivery. They have reacted to these comments by extending the application submission period , and adding in an extra meeting for the Kellogg’s Swim Active National Awarding Panel. They are hoping that these changes enable them to advise applicants more closely. The National Awarding Panel of the Kellogg’s Swim Active Grant will meet during the week of 12 June 2012 and 6 August 2012.

Please click to view the application guidance information and grant criteria. Please read the guidance information carefully before or whilst completing the application form.

Applications are invited until 12pm on 1 August via email to swimactive@swimming.org. Applications received in hard copy, via post or after this time will not be accepted.

Please click to view the application form.

Any questions should be directed to swimactive@swimming.org

New Quarterly BSCA Coaching Awards launched

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:34:00 +0100

Your chance to recognise good practice, great initiatives and outstanding results.

The BSCA are well known for recognising coaching achievement at a National & international level, but now, in partnership with Speedo, the BSCA is to recognise a coach every three months, with their new “Coach of the Quarter” award.

“Coaches can be nominated for almost anything,” says Brian McGuinness, BSCA Executive Director, “we may recognise those who exhibit good practice, or where they have been involved in initiatives which have forwarded the profession or activity of swimming coaching as well as relative outstanding results of course.”

The Awarding Panel will consider innovation and all sorts of contributions to the sport.

Terry Denison MBE, the BSCA Chair said in support of the new Award, “We want to encourage coaches at all levels of our sport, to be innovative and groundbreaking and not just doing what everyone else is doing.” Denison who coached Adrian Moorehouse to Gold in the Seoul Olympics amongst many other achievements, went on to say, “We are pleased to have a body such as Speedo associated with this initiative and we thank them for their support on this and in other areas too.”

Christina Crook, Speedo Marketing Manager says “Speedo, the world’s leading swim brand is pleased to be a key partner in the Coach of the Quarter recognition award. This award recognises the hard work and commitment coaches provide from grass route to elite level, in the nurturing and development of aquatic stars of the future”.

Anyone can nominate their favourite coach via the BSCA website online by clicking on the Coach of the Quarter logo on the homepage or going to www.gbswimcoaches.co.uk/quarterly-nominations/ or by downloading the form, filling it in and sending to the BSCA Office at the address shown on the website.

The successful coach will receive commemorative engraved glassware, a certificate of their achievement & a £50 voucher from Speedo.

The first recipient will be chosen from nominations received between 1 April and 30 June 2012 and will be announced at either the ASA BAGCAT or Youth events in Sheffield between 17 & 26 July 2012.

British Gas ‘Free Swims for Britain’ campaign

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:33:00 +0100

Find out how you can show your support for Britain’s Swimming Teams by taking the plunge for free.

Double Olympic Champion Rebecca Adlington is encouraging the nation to show its support for Britain’s Swimming Teams this year by taking the plunge for free.

The Mansfield star has launched the British Gas ‘Free Swims for Britain’ campaign, which is giving away swimming sessions to those who sign up online to back our swimmers, as they prepare for the biggest competition of their careers.

Adlington is currently in hard training after booking her Team GB place in impressive style at the British Gas Swimming Championships (selection trials) at the London Aquatics Centre in March 2012.

The 23 year-old, who will defend both her 400m and 800m freestyle titles in three months’ time, has been swimming since the age of 4 and is on a mission to get more people into the water.
Adlington said: “I think it’s a great idea that people can show their support for the British Swimming Teams and get free swims from British Gas.

“I’ve always had fantastic home support and it really matters to me, especially this year. I’m also passionate about getting more people to swim, so Free Swims for Britain is a brilliant way of combining two things that are very important to me.”

Free swims, aqua aerobics classes, aqua tots classes and swimming taster lessons are on offer at more than 700 pools, in leisure centres, health clubs and hotelsacross the country.

British Gas Brand Director Andrew Hogan said: “British Gas has supported British Swimming for the last three years and we look forward to continuing this support in the years to come. Our partnership supports the top athletes to win more medals as well as getting more people and families in the water.

“I’m really excited that ‘Free Swims for Britain’ will help everyone to enjoy spending time in the water during what promises to be an unforgettable summer.”

Free Swims for Britain runs from 13 April to 30 August 2012. For further information and to book your free swims go to www.britishgas.co.uk/freeswimming

Swimathon Foundation grant for Aquaterra Lesiure

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:41:00 +0100

South Wansdyke Leisure Centre offer £1 swimming lessons to over 50s

Aquaterra Leisure, which runs South Wansdyke Leisure Centre, has been awarded a grant of £1,829 from the Swimathon Foundation to help local people aged over 50 enjoy the health and social benefits of swimming.

Jason Curtis, head of operations for Aquaterra Leisure in Bath and North East Somerset, said: "We are delighted to receive this grant from the Swimathon Foundation as we work hard to try to ensure swimming is accessible and enjoyable for all sections of the community."

Jane Lawrence, Aquaterra's swimming development manager, said: "We recognise there are many older people who, for whatever reason, didn't have the opportunity to learn to swim.

"By offering lessons to the over-50s who have never learned to swim for £1, we hope to entice new people into the leisure centres so that they can learn a new skill, meet new friends and eventually have the confidence to come swimming regularly or participate in activities such as aqua aerobics and enjoy the health benefits that regular exercise can bring."

Anyone aged 50 and over who would like to take up the offer of lessons should call the centre on 01761 415522.

Meanwhile, swimmers in Midsomer Norton will dive into the world's biggest fundraising swim at the sports centre on April 27 and 28 when they take on one of the five Swimathon Weekend 2012 challenges, raising money for either Marie Curie Cancer Care or Sport Relief.

Swimathon Weekend participants can raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care by swimming the 5k, 2.5k or Team 5k challenges, or for Sport Relief by swimming the Big Splash Mile, individually or as part of a team.

There will be experts on hand to offer encouragement and advice, regardless of the challenge. World 10k champion Keri-Anne Payne has designed tips and a training plan for those taking on the 5k, Duncan Goodhew the 2.5k, and Jodie Kidd for the Milers.

Paul Vinyard, manager of the sports centre said: "Swimathon Weekend 2012 is a fantastic way to bring our community together, to raise money for charity, and provides a great challenge."

Funds raised by taking on the Swimathon Distance Challenges for Marie Curie Cancer Care will provide free nursing care and support for people with terminal cancer and other illnesses. The charity expects to care for more than 31,000 terminally ill patients in the community and in its hospices this year.

Money raised in the Big Splash Mile for Sport Relief will be spent by Comic Relief to help disadvantaged people in the UK and in the world's poorest countries.

Swimmer entry is open until 25 April 2012. To enter for the 2012 challenge visit www.swimathon.org, pick up a registration form from the sports centre or call 0845 36 700 36.

Paulton Pool wins £50k Inspired Facilities Funding

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:17:00 +0100

Round 3 opens on 23 July 2012

Paulton Swimming Pool supporters are celebrating news that they have won £50,000 of Olympic legacy funding from Sport England's Inspired Facilities Fund. The pool was on the brink of closure two years ago but a community campaign to keep it going has seen the pool transformed.

Paulton Pool Management Committee member Gary Yoxall said: "We are ecstatic to have won this funding. Paulton Pool has been on a remarkable journey in the past two years."

The grant will be used to continue improvements at the pool including a hoist to help swimmers with disabilities in and out of the water. The funding will also help ensure the sustainability of the pool through environmental solutions such as replacement windows and doors, a suspended ceiling and solar panels to provide heating and electricity.

The Inspired Facilities fund is part of the £135 million Places People Play legacy programme that is bringing the magic of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to communities across the country.

Every sports centre that receives funding will carry the London 2012 Inspire mark – celebrating the link to the Games.

Mr Yoxall said: "We were convinced of the logic of our investment proposal and we are glad Sport England shared our view. The investment in significantly reducing operating costs that this award allows will ensure we operate in the black for many years to come. This in turn will allow us to continue to offer excellent value for money to our rural catchment area. As a not-for-profit organisation we will invest future profits in extending our service provision."

Sport England's chairman, Richard Lewis, said: "This investment will create will be a fantastic sporting legacy. This fund has really hit the mark with sports clubs in Somerset. It shows we're offering the legacy that people want for their community. For hundreds of clubs and tens of thousands of people, 2012 will be the year their sports facilities got better."

Chairman of the Paulton Pool Management Committee, Dave Baldwin, said it was extremely grateful for the investment.

Mr Baldwin said: "The Olympic Legacy funding will ensure that many thousands of people in the rural area surrounding Paulton as well as residents of Paulton itself have access to a high-quality facility. In the past 18 months we have seen an increase of more than 30 per cent in customer numbers and this funding will enable us to continue to grow bringing with it improvements in the health and wellbeing of all our customers."

Paulton parish councillor Rachel James said the pool had a catchment of more than 40,000 people living in and around the village. She said: "In recent times facilities of this nature have not surprisingly been struggling. The work of the pool management committee and specifically the winning of this award is fantastic news for all these people.

"With the award comes a responsibility for us all to redouble our efforts to deliver the legacy of the 2012 Olympic Games. We look forward to living up to this responsibility in the years to come."

Inspired Facilities - the complete guide - Round 3 opens on 23 July 2012

Grab a grant in 2012

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 20:17:00 +0100

British Gas are helping clubs to develop the stars of the future.

Ask any of the Team GB swimmers and they’ll tell you that they wouldn’t have been able to make it to the 2012 Games without the support of their club. And to help clubs continue to develop the stars of the future, British Gas are offering all swim21 accredited clubs the chance to apply for a grant of up to £1,000!

The money can be used for a range of activities, from providing better opportunities for members to increasing club membership. And there’s even a chance to double the funding through Sport England’s Sportsmatch scheme.

To apply for a British Gas Club Grant, complete the application form and return it to south west regional ASA office by Wednesday 9 May 2012.

Somerset ASA 2012 Open Water Championships

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:28:00 +0100

2012 events go ahead despite the Olympics!

ASA SOUTH WEST REGION
OPEN WATER AND AGE GROUP CHAMPIONSHIPS
(Incorporating Somerset, Dorset & Wiltshire County Championships)

SUNDAY 1ST JULY 2012

WEST COUNTRY WATER PARK, BRADLEY STOKE, TRENCH LANE, BRISTOL, BS36 1RY

Events are: -
5Km – 10.00am START Entry Fee - £12.00

750m – 12.30pm START Entry Fee - £5.00
(Taster event for 11-12 years)

3Km – 1.00pm START Entry Fee - £12.00

1.5Km – 1.00pm START Entry Fee - £8.00

2Km – 2.00pm START Entry Fee - £8.00

1.75Km – 2.00pm START Entry Fee - £8.00

These events are open to all swimmers registered with the ASA / WASA / SASA and registered members of clubs of Countries that are affiliated to FINA. They are also open to non- registered swimmers who can apply for ASA registration for the day.

Medals will be awarded to overall County placings and ASA South West placings.

For further details and entry form please see ASA SWR Website www.swimwest.org or: -
Mr J.L. Helme, 30A Vineys Yard, Bruton, BA30 0EU
E-Mail – johnhelme.owsec@milnet.uk.net
Phone – 07714 329726

NCTC 2012 Somerset Swimmer Selection Criteria

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:02:00 +0100

How can you join the team?

Somerset Amateur Swimming Association are pleased to announce this year's selection criteria for the County Swimming Team that will travel to Sheffield to take part in the competition scheduled for 21 October 2012. Managing the team will be Chris Knight (WSM).

The criteria should be read in conjunction with those sections in Rule 10 of the Constitution and Rules of the County that relate to, County Swimming Coach, County Assistant Swimming Coach and County Swimming Team Manager.

For full detail click here.

Double Gold for Keynsham's Ella Scott

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:19:29 +0100

5 medal haul for Ella Scott at the British Junior Disability Championships

Ella Scott (Keynsham) swam 5 events at the British Junior and Youth Disability Swimming Championships held at the Ponds Forge International pool in Sheffield 24-25 March 2012. The short course event was a great test for future stars in the sport. Ella was swimming in the S6 class for Under 14 year old girls winning gold in the 50m and 100m Breaststroke, silver in the 50m and 100m Backstroke and bronze in the 50m Freestyle. By recording PB times in the 50m Breast (5 seconds), the 50m Freestyle (4 seconds), the 50m Brackstroke (10 seconds) and taking a massive 35 seconds off her 100m Backsrtoke time Ella certainly announced her presence on the national stage!

Challenge your swimmers and win a Duncan Goodhew club training session!

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:42:49 +0000

The ASA is encouraging coaches to swim the Big Splash Mile for Sport Relief, part of the Swimathon Weekend, taking place in 650 pools from 27 to 29 April.

By taking part, coaches can inspire club members to form teams of up to five swimmers and challenge - their coach - to the fastest time!

Not only will coaches help to raise money for Sport Relief to help people living incredibly tough lives, but the club with the most swimmers taking part - including friends and family - will win a special training session with Olympic gold medallist and Swimathon President Duncan Goodhew. The winning club will also get their name in lights in a future edition of Swimming Times.

The Challenge!

- Ask your Coach to sign up to swim the Big Splash Mile for Sport Relief individually.

- Encourage your swimmers to sign up as teams.

- Challenge the teams to the fastest time!

A leaflet is available for download to help coaches promote the challenge - simply print copies and take to your training sessions. Download Challenge your coach! leaflet

Do something amazing today and together we can encourage the nation to swim the Big Splash Mile for Sport Relief.

Vacancy - Data Administrator (South West) x 3

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:35:58 +0000

The ASA - Data Administrator (Casual Position)

24 positions available:

3 x East Midlands
3 x East
3 x West Midlands
3 x South East
3 x South West
3 x London
3 x North West
3 x North East

HOURLY RATE: £10.00 per hour (plus expenses)

NUMBER OF HOURS: 8 to 15 hours per month

Applications are invited for the role of Data Administrator for the Informatics team.
• Main duties – To arrange and conduct face to face structured interviews across a variety of venues. The data collected will then be entered onto a database and analysed by the Informatics team.
• Outcome - To gain a better understanding of grassroots and lifelong participation in swimming.
• Responsible to – Research Officer

Responsibilities:
1. Liaise with the Informatics team research officer to arrange data collection opportunities across leisure centres and general public areas
2. Attend data collection training days at SportPark, Loughborough
3. Conduct face to face structured interviews (questions provided) across venues in a friendly and polite manner
4. Interview data collected should reflect pre-specified sample sizes and characteristics
5. Input results into an excel database and share with the ASA informatics team on a monthly basis
6. Any other duties that may from time to time reasonably be requested by the line manager.
7. Travel across venues will be required.

Personal specification:

Title of role: Data Administrator

ESSENTIAL

Proven experience in managing data records A background within swimming and an understanding of the sport’s grassroots Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Excellent organisational skills
Proven ability to act on own initiative and to work as part of a team.
Flexible approach to work and an ability to remain on task and stay motivated
Comprehensive keyboard skills having good knowledge of Microsoft office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook

DESIRABLE

Level 1 qualification in teaching aquatics
Experience in market research data collection

The successful applicant should comply with the entire Organisation’s policies and procedures in particular those related to equality, diversity and health and safety.

In order to apply for the role please email a cover letter and CV to hrdepartment@swimming.org

Closing date: Tuesday 10th April 2012 at 12.00pm
Interview date: week commencing 16th April 2012
Training date: 25th April 2012 in Loughborough

Day 7 - 200m events close 2012 Championships

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:15:53 +0000

Allin, Boon and Lowe crowned champions on final day of competition

The final day of competition of the British Gas Somerset ASA 2012 Age Group and Championships saw Millfield swimmers Georgina Allin, Ben Lowe and Elliot Boon take 200m titles. Allin took the Womens 200m Freestyle and Individual Medley whilst Lowe the Freestyle and Boon the Individual Medley in the Mens events.

Full BAGCAT Championship results can be found if you click here

Thank you to everyone involved in staging this year's very sucessful event. We look forward to seeing you back at the County Development Meet in October!

For full results click here

Day 6 - James continues to Peek over 50m

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:15:34 +0000

James Peek achieves new heights setting new Mens 50m record

James Peek (Millfield) continued to dominate the Mens 50m Freestyle on Day 6 of the British Gas Somerset ASA 2012 Age Groups and Championships held at Millfield School on 10 March. Having set the Junior Record in 2011 (24.08) James took exactly half a second off that previous time in the final this year taking the Championship in a new Senior Record of 23.58 for the event.

In the Womens Championship Georgina Allin (Millfield) took the 50m Freestyle in a time of 27.50 having set a quicker 26.68 mark in the heats.

For full results click here

Somerset's Olympic Golden Girl makes the grade in the 200m Breaststroke

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:57:50 +0000

Stacey Tadd sets new English record and PB on her way to Olympic Qualification time

Somerset's Stacey Tadd (University of Bath) set a new English Record (2.26.63) claiming gold in the final of the Womens 200m Breaststroke on Day 6 of the British Gas 2012 Swimming Championships being held at the Olympic Aquatics Venue, Stratford, London on Thursday 8 March.

Congratulations to Stacey, a native of Bath, who started her swimming career at Norton Radstock SC having also spent time developing her ability in breaststroke at Keynsham before taking her place as a regular member of the GBR Team through involvement with the University of Bath and Bath ITC.

For details of all Somerset Olympians click here