Swim England West Midlands

We would like to wish West Midland born swimmers .morgannn and luck at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games 🤩👏🏼
morgannn started swimming in Shropshire, at his home club . He then joined when he moved to study at The University of Birmingham. Ollie has gone from strength to strength, becoming a triple British Champion in 2023, before qualifying for his first Olympic at the most recent British Championships. Ollie will be racing the 100m and 200m backstroke 🙌🏼

began his journey at aged 8, before moving to . He has also represented , , Bath Performance Centre, joining his current club in 2023. Matt won an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay, and was appointed an MBE in 2022 for his services to swimming. Matt will be taking on the 100m and 200m freestyle in Paris 👏🏼

We can’t wait to watch! 🇬🇧💙

Club visit - Boldmere 📍

Ffion, our Regional Club Development Offficer, will be looking to visit all of the clubs in the West Midlands Region across the next two years. She will be working directly with clubs to better understand their needs, the culture of our clubs and any support and development requirements.

Ffion has already visited 6 of the clubs in the region and attended three county meetings so far. You may have also seen her out and about at the Bromsgrove Roadshow, West Midlands Summer Championships and Open Water Championships 🏊🏻

Over the next few weeks, we will begin sharing the visits in our newsletter and on social media, thank you to who are the first club to be shared 🥳

If you would like to have a visit at your club, please contact Ffion at [email protected] 💙

WEBSITE DISRUPTION

Please be aware we are undergoing some website maintenance, meaning there will be some disruptions. Apologies for any inconvenience.

📣 WE ARE HIRING

The Board of Swim England West Midlands are seeking a new voluntary Director to lead the commercial development and funding growth aspects of aquatics in the West Midlands. The region has recently launched its new 4 year strategy which highlights a vision to grow the membership across our sports, strengthen workforce opportunities and education, improve governance, safeguarding and welfare and diversify the current communication offering.

We are seeking someone who has experience in commercialisation, sponsorship and successful grant applications, who is able to give us strategic direction to grow the region commercially and maximise the regions key products. We welcome applications from anyone with experience in this area, and who has an ambition to shape and develop this area of work with us.

Read more 👇🏼

Vacancy: Director for Commercial and Funding Growth The Board of Swim England West Midlands are seeking a new voluntary Director to lead the commercial development and funding growth aspects of aquatics in the West Midlands. The region has recently launched its new 4 year strategy which highlights a vision to grow the membership across our sports, st...

Club Culture Report 📑

Sporting People were commissioned by Swim England to undertake a Club Culture Insight Project.

The project was to explore the identification of the human factors (coach behaviours, parent voice, young people’s voice, committee management) that impact experience of swimming in the the West midlands and define club cultures.

The project also explored how clubs employed holistic development principles, and the extent to which the British Swimming Optimal Athlete Development Framework (OADF) influenced talent development opportunities.

The aim of the project was to use insight to guide direction on future work natinoally and regionally in the areas of club culture, welfare, safeguarding, and performance planning.

The full Club Culture report, along with a statement from Swim England West Midlands, is available to read on the website. Find the link in our bio 🔗

📣 JOIN OUR EVENTS TEAM

We are looking for 3 individuals to join our Regional Swimming Leadership Group under the newly formed volunteer strand.

🔹 2 x Volunteer Team Members
🔹 1 x Volunteer Lead

These roles have been formed to separate the administrative recruitment and scheduling responsibilities of the Volunteer Lead, from the on-the-day running and person management of the Volunteer Team Members. Together, these individuals will join our current Team Members to become part of the team.

Our full role descriptions are available via the link on our profile 🔗 Please note that these are voluntary roles, and will close on the 11th August.

If you have any queries regarding either role, please don’t hesitate to drop us a message, or email us at [email protected] 💙

West Midland U16 girls take on Inter-Regionals 🤽

The girls displayed fantastic determination and sportsmanship, improving with each game 🙌🏼

The girls finished 3rd in division 2 at Walsall Gala Baths 🥉

U16 Boys Division 1 Inter-Regionals Liverpool 29/30 June: West Midlands Warriors Triumph 🤽

The West Midlands Warriors clinched the U16 Boys’ Inter-Regional Championships title with an impressive display of teamwork. Building on their U14 victory in November 2022, they dominated the competition, winning all four matches held at the Liverpool Aquatics Centre.

In their opening clash against Ireland, the Warriors finished with a resounding 21-4 victory. Next, they faced a determined North West team, securing a 12-6 win. Day two brought an early showdown with the fast South West team, resulting in a 12-7 victory. Despite fatigue from four full matches in two days, the Warriors finished strong, defeating South East 10-5.

Eleven U14 boys transitioned seamlessly to the U16 level, showcasing the benefits of consistent training. MVP Goalkeeper Freddie and captain Eric led the defensive effort, conceding only 22 goals throughout the tournament.

Coach John Halstead praised the team’s togetherness and discipline, while skipper Erik Buhaescu, also the event’s top scorer and MVP, summed it up:

”I am incredibly proud of each and every one of my teammates who have showcased what effort, resilience and dedication can achieve. We were determined and played exceptionally well from start to finish so I am very pleased with our performance this weekend. A Well deserved win.”

The victors:
Freddie Trevis
Filippos Psychogios
Erik Buhaescu
Reuben Tutty
Ethan Chu
Amar Krajisnik
Sebastien Lloyd Evans
Harry Forty
Matthew Walton
Erik Shun Yip
Jacob Lewis
Bailey Lane
Darius Tabirta

Head Coach: John Halstead
Assistant Coach: Trevor Downs
Team Manager: Terri Halstead

The weekend was a great success with thanks to the event organisers Joanne Mountfield and Mike Hesketh and all of the volunteers for their hard work. It was a triumph of the waterpolo community demonstrating competitiveness and togetherness 💙

All the emotions 🥹

Photos from the event are now available! Follow the link on the profile, and click on ‘gallery’, then ‘Open water championships 2024’ 💙

Swim England - South West Swim England East Midlands

Happy birthday to the legend herself, auntie Jean 💙

Many of you will know Jean as one of our most dedicated volunteers, supporting every event held by the Region, as well as National and occasionally international competitions! She is on the regional swimming leadership group, supporting us in running the open water, masters, and para swimming events. Jean is also strongly committed to Shropshire Amateur Swimming Association, sitting on the committee and offering her expertise 🙌🏼

She is also quite the baker and is known for bringing along a selection of cakes every so often🧁🎂🍰

We are wishing Jean a brilliant birthday 🙌🏼 🎁

THANK YOU AND WELL DONE💙👏🏼

That concluded a fantastic Open Water Regionals Championships for the year. We are so very grateful to everyone who gave their time to support the event, and we are immensely proud of all our athletes 👏🏼

There are more photos and videos to be shared later this week, keep an eye out 📸

“It felt very emotional because I put a lot of time into swimming and for someone to recognise what I’m doing feels good.”

Tony Ward has been selected for the King’s Birthday honours list, for his services to swimming as well as his commitment to being a blood biker.

Thank you, very well deserved 👏🏼💙

Read more👇🏼

It came as an absolute shock ... emotional Tony honoured by King Tony Ward almost mistook the letter informing him he was to receive a British Empire Medal as election campaign material.

It came as an absolute shock ... emotional Tony honoured by King Tony Ward almost mistook the letter informing him he was to receive a British Empire Medal as election campaign material.

Todays spotlight… our club volunteers 💙

…including our voluntary teachers, coaches and team managers!

Each club depends on a group of volunteers to allow the club to operate and provide the foundations of a community where aquatics is the centre focus. The roles stretch from chairperson, to mini-league organisers, to fundraising officers. These volunteers often come into the roles with little or no specialist skills but they develop during their time in role. Without these volunteers contributing their time and efforts, clubs would be unable to run successfully 🙌🏼

Clubs also have trained volunteers, such as teachers, coaches and team managers, who give their time to support athletes in training and competition 👏🏼

You can add value by volunteering at your club, from just an hour a week! You may start just by registering swimmers as they arrive at sessions, or you might want to be part of the executive committee. Have a conversation with your club committee members and see how you can get involved in a way that suits your lifestyle- there’s something for everyone 🤩

Thank you to all our club volunteers for everything that they do! 💙

Today’s spotlight.. officials! 🤍

The unsung heroes of all our events up and down the country 🤩

Every event requires a certain number of officials to run, meaning they are a very sought after bunch! Officials undergo training, and gain experience on poolside, moving up through the qualifications to take on different roles required to run the meet 🏊🏻

They watch your every move 👀 Their aim is make sure our sports are fair, and keep to the rules🤽

Although many of our officials are there supporting a swimmer, we also have incredible dedicated volunteers who have continued to officiate for many years beyond having a competitor in the event! They travel up and down the UK to support open meets as well as county, regional, and national events. They are so vital to our sports 💙

Interested in becoming an official? We can help direct you to where to start. Contact our Officials coordinator, Ian, at [email protected] 🫶🏾

Tag your officials to say thank you! 👇🏼

Todays spotlight is on our event volunteers 🤩💙

Our events team is made up of volunteers, working alongside our staff member to deliver fantastic opportunities to swimmers across the Region. They are involved in the planning, organisation, and delivery of the swimming events- they all bring a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to all that we do! 👏🏼

At every event we host, we welcome event volunteers. They come from far and wide, some having years of experience in aquatics, while some have never stepped foot on poolside at an event before! We are always amazed at the passion and dedication our event volunteers bring to our events 🙌🏼

Want to get involved in events? We are always looking for events team members, and event volunteers, so drop us an email at [email protected] and we can match you with a role 💙

📣 SWIM MARK REVIEW

Swim England is conducting a review into SwimMark, with a survey being sent to all accredited clubs. Please take some time to respond to this survey over the next 2 weeks of the review- your feedback is really important! 🙏

More information here:

Swim England to consult clubs and key stakeholders in SwimMark review Swim England is to carry out a consultation with clubs and key stakeholders as part of its comprehensive review of the SwimMark accreditation scheme.

National Awards are now open!👇🏼

This is your chance to put forwards those in our community who deserve celebration and recognition 🤩

Nominations open for the Swim England National Awards 2024 Swim England are pleased to announce that nominations for the Swim England National Awards 2024 are now open until Sunday 7 July.

Thank you, volunteers 🙏💙

are celebrating 40 years this year! Their event serves as a platform to recognise and appreciate the tireless efforts of volunteers, whose dedication and passion drive positive change 🫶🏻

We are so grateful for our volunteers who are the backbone of our aquatic sports ✨

Check out the volunteers week website for volunteers’ stories, how to get involved, and resources to celebrate your volunteers 🔗

OPEN WATER CHAMPIONSHIPS: Entries now open🏊🏻

The full event conditions are now available on our website, this includes the links for entry. We will be taking entries until the 2nd June, so make sure you don’t miss out!

Head to the link on our profile to take you there 🔗

Follow us on Facebook and click ‘going’ on our events to be notified first with updates! 🔔

A reminder to subscribe to our Youtube channel if you haven't already!👇

Swim England West Midland Region - YouTube Welcome to the YouTube channel for the West Midland Region of Swim England

Coaching programmes 📣 The below programmes are now available for applications for 2024/25 with the IoS:

Senior Swimming Coach (Closing 30th May):
https://www.swimming.org/ios/course-information/swim-england-senior-swimming-coach/

Senior Swimming Coach Recognition of Prior International Learning (closing 30th May):
https://www.swimming.org/ios/course-information/swim-england-senior-swimming-coach-recognition-prior-international-learning/

If you have any questions please reach out to the IoS, here: https://www.swimming.org/ios/contacting-the-ios/

Contact the Institute of Swimming Whether about courses, training opportunities, membership, or enquiries of another nature, contacting the Institute of Swimming is easy. Learn how here.

https://westmidlandswimming.org.uk/new-movement-fund-sport-england-transforms-the-way-you-can-secure-investment/

New Movement Fund: Sport England transforms the way you can secure investment Sport England has transformed their funding application process, making it easier for clubs and organisations who help people take part in physical activity apply for money. Investments are considered for projects that align with Sport England’s priorities, from £300 up to £15,000, for a broad r...

Start a journey in diving coaching! 🫧👇

https://britishswimming.formstack.com/forms/diving_coaching_observer_event

HAVE YOUR SAY ‼️

The Swim England Values and Vision Roadshows are your chance to input into the organisation's future direction and vision for aquatic sports. Insight gained from the roadshows will help to refresh the existing strategy, ensuring it is reflective of members' needs.

It is really important to attend if you can, as the Swim England strategy will then inform our Regional strategy and the direction of the aquatic sports for the foreseeable future.

YOUR VOICE MATTERS!

Find the information for signing up in the article below:
https://www.swimming.org/swimengland/values-vision-roadshows/

Don't miss the first Values and Vision Roadshows!

We're only 7⃣ days away from the Norwich roadshows, which means the booking forms for those events will close at 2pm today ⌛️

Visit bit.ly/SE-Roadshows to book your place.

Well done to our West Midland girls who came 4th at the U14 Inter-Regional Championships 🤽🏽‍♀️

The event was held at Walsall, in the West Midlands, and we want to congratulate all teams that attended over the weekend 👏🏼

Find more information in the Swim England article below 👇🏼

Proud North West Thunder coach praises her sides Inter Regional success A ‘proud’ North West Thunder head coach Laura Hesketh praised her sides efforts as they claimed the U14 Girls’ Water Polo Inter Regional Championships.

Mike Beard being presented his Hall of Fame certificate by Swim England CEO, Jane Nickerson 💙

(Apologies for the quality - we have asked for a clearer image)

Excellent memorabilia here - a Guinness World Records certificate awarded to Birmingham's Camp Hill in 1978 for smashing the 'World Water Polo Marathon' record 🤽‍♂️ 👏

The dedicated team played a non-stop match for a staggering 63 hours and 13 minutes, beating the old record by a good 10 hours!

Sadly, the record was broken by a team in California the following year, but for 12 months or so, the 30 hardy individuals who played (and are all named on the certificate) were on top of the world!

As you can see, quite a few former internationals and well-known names took part. With thanks to Mark Coles for sharing.