OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE
Bringing down barriers As part of its community focus, Everyone Active has partnered with Good Boost to support those with musculoskeletal issues, especially joint problems. The Good Boost app offers aquatic exercises specifically designed for these audiences, and the programme is now available via waterproof tablets at 25 Everyone Active centres. “We’re starting to see the impact,” says Cotton. “People are reporting reduced need for physiotherapy, with one individual even cancelling their surgery.” He adds: “We have other specialist programmes too, such as Adult Quiet Swimming for those with dementia, neurodivergence and other long-term health conditions. We work with Level Water to provide swimming lessons for children with disabilities, while also offering small group or one-to-one lessons for students who may not be able to reach their potential in a standard group session. We aim to be as inclusive as possible. “We’ve now gone through Swim England’s Water Wellbeing accreditation scheme, which looks at everything from access to delivery, right through to things like the information offered on your website. We’re delighted to say we’re the first national operator to achieve this accreditation for all our centres with pools.” “The long and short of it is, we’re trying to get the most out of our pool space for everyone,” says Tillman. “That means exploring different avenues and different community needs beyond traditional lane swimming. “It also means understanding barriers to participation, and swimwear contributes to this. We therefore have a clothing policy that allows customers to wear close-fitting clothing – including leggings and long-sleeved T-shirts – to swim in our pools. We just want to help more people experience the pleasure of water.”
You have to be smart with the water you’ve got, carving it up in a way that caters for the whole community.
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STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2023
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