INSIGHT & ANALYSIS
INSIGHT & ANALYSIS
Embracing health He continues: “Ill health is estimated to cost the economy £150bn a year, which is 7 per cent of GDP. The health agenda therefore represents a major opportunity for sport and physical activity as a whole to help tackle a huge societal issue – and within this, swimming is particularly well placed. “We know, through our research and our partnership with Mental Health Swims, about the huge benefits of swimming for mental health. We also know that among people with a long-term health condition or disability, participation in swimming is far higher than participation in other forms of physical activity. Even among individuals with up to three health conditions, swimming participation sits just below 20 per cent. “As a result, swimming already contributes £2.4bn of social value to the UK economy every year, primarily in
NHS savings through the prevention of 80,000 cases of ill health. With our agenda of lifelong participation, we can do even more. “But we need to keep banging the drum. We need to emphatically make the case that our nation – and with it, our economy – will be healthier if we get people in the water. “We’re already seeing the big public sector operators focusing on the health and wellbeing agenda, tuning in to the needs of their local authority partners. However, swimming as a whole must continue to get better at capturing data to evidence its effectiveness, taking its lead from the likes of Good Boost. “Our Water Wellbeing accreditation scheme supports this, covering criteria such as the reporting of impact data, personalised delivery and inclusivity/accessibility considerations. It is a form of kitemark designed to give
Swimming contributes £2.4bn of social value to the UK economy every year, primarily through the prevention of 80,000 cases of ill health
ANDY SALMON
Swim England isn’t just about elite sport, says its CEO, as he outlines a new agenda of health and lifelong participation
“Swim England published a new strategy in November: One Swim England. The result of widespread consultation, one of the key strategic shifts is our ambition of lifelong participation,” says Andy Salmon, CEO of Swim England. “Of course we want to continue to develop the talented swimmers, the water polo teams, the artistic swimmers and the divers of tomorrow. But that isn’t our sole focus. We also want to help the nation become healthier and more active through lifelong participation in swimming, knowing that in turn this will boost productivity and drive economic growth.” He continues: “When we speak with operators about this new strategy, we speak about a mutual success
opportunity: when our operator partners succeed, we succeed and vice versa. If Swim England can position swimming as a lifelong activity that appeals to everyone, not just elite athletes, operators will see long-term engagement and growth. “We’re very much at the beginning of this journey, but we want to work with all operators to address this massive opportunity. Because for all the people who are already in the water – a diverse audience spanning all ages and abilities – there are so many others not yet swimming who could be realising the most wonderful benefits. No matter your age, ability or background, swimming is really, really good for you.”
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STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2023 STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2025
STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2023
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STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2025
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