International swimming coach Ron Philpot has been appointed as the first Head of Aquatics for the new Crystal Palace Beacon Programme, which is set to transform aquatic sports in south London.

Click here for full details 

London Youth Championships are taking place this Saturday (2^nd) & Sunday (3^rd May) at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. Full details and results are available here

  

'A Sporting Future for London’, which was unveiled by the Mayor Boris Johnson and his Sports Commissioner, Kate Hoey on Tuesday 28th April, will see a total of over £30 million invested into grass-roots sport in London by 2012. Full details available here.

  

Harrow & Wealdstone Swimming Club are proud to have achieved Swim21 accreditation. London Swimming representatives will award the club with their certificate at Harrow Leisure Centre at 10.00 am on Saturday 9th May after competitive squad and learn to swim club training.

Further details available here.

  

Bookings are now open for London’s Spring Conference to take place on Saturday 23rd May at Colfes School, SE12 8AW, with a focus on club development.  To book a place on one the master classes on the day click here.

 

Voting is now open for the London Swimming/ASA Aquaforce Volunteer Awards, so get voting now!  There are a variety of categories whether you would like to nominate a club coach, official or swim teacher, deadline is 1^st July 2009.

Full details available here.

If you would like to book any master class with London swimming please see click here for further information.

 

25 - 29 May – L1 Teaching Aquatics Units 1&2 - Whitgift School Haling Park, Croydon, CR2 6YT

26 - 30 May – L1 Teaching Aquatics Units 1&2 - Camberwell Leisure Centre, Artichoke Place,                                Southwark SE5 8TS

28 & 29 May - L1 Coaching Waterpolo Unit 2 - Queen Elizabeth Boys School, Queens Road,                                Hertfordshire, EN5 4DQ

27 & 28 June - L1 Coaching Diving Unit 2 - Wardown Swimming and Leisure Centre,

                        Bath Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU3 1ES

 

15-19, 22-26 June – L2 Teaching Aquatics Units 1-6 Course based - Camberwell Leisure Centre, Artichoke Place, Southwark SE5 8TS

16-19 Jun – L2 Teaching Aquatics Units 1-3 - Oasis Sports Centre, 32 Endell Street, Camden, WC2H 9AG

22-26 Jun – L2 Teaching Aquatics Units 4-6 - Oasis Sports Centre, 32 Endell Street, Camden, WC2H 9AG

For more information on courses, dates and venues, to download booking forms, or details of funding opportunities please visit www.londonswimming.org

  

IOS CPD Course - Land Training for Swimming

Bracknell Sports Centre Berkshire - 5th July 2009

Full details and application form available here

  

UKCC Level 1 Coaching Waterpolo Unit 2 only – 28^th & 29^th May

Queens Elizabeths Boys School, Queens Road, Barnet.

Full details and booking form available here

 

6^th & 7^th June 2009 - Whitgift School, Haling Park, South Croydon, Surrey, CR2 6YT

For more information and application details click here.

August 3^rd – 7^th, Millfield School, Somerset

Full details and application form available here

 

August 2nd – 7^th, Millfield School, Somerset

Full details and application form available here 

 

 

This week Colin Brown (RD) has seen a lot of schemes and projects come together. Colin started his week meeting all the major club hirers of Crystal Palace with representatives of ASA and GLL to discuss the implications of the Beacon programme and how they get on board as the programme rolls out each phase. The meetings were excellent with a great deal of support expressed for the vision of an athlete centred cross discipline programme. Tuesday saw Colin visiting a judo club in Croydon for the launch of ‘A Sporting Future for All’ the Mayor’s legacy plan for grass roots sport – click here for more information.  The end of the week Colin visited the Brent Mobile Pool at Preston Park Primary School to co-host a party from the Greater London Authority, London Development Agency, ASA and Olympic Development Agencies (in fact if you didn’t have an A in your organisational initials you didn’t get in!). Considering that this was the same pool that we used in Lambeth in January it was amazing to see how different it looks in a primary school hall rather than on a basketball court. Colin would like to offer a large thank you to Head Teacher John Redpath and PE Teacher John Jarvis who could not have been more welcoming or enthusiastic. Colin will be attending the London Championships at Crystal Palace on Saturday, click here for more details.

Colin will be meeting with representatives of Southampton University to see if we can access Masters students for specific project work under their business support programme. Colin will be meeting with Westminster Council to look at their progress towards developing an Aquatics Strategy. Colin will also co-ordinate the pool operators meeting at the GLA on Wednesday. This meeting brings the majority of pool operators together to discuss best practice around free swimming and is starting to become an opportunity for wider development discussions.

Colin will be on annual leave from 7-17 May.

 

This week has seen Jo Melchior (Project Manager) has been working on developing the Brent Pool in the School programme. The Teaching staff led by Paul and Sarah Bedford and London Swimming's Nik Jovanovic, are all doing a fantastic job. The pupils are making rapid progress, and a predominantly non-swimming school is fast becoming water aware and competent - with some little superstars!! We are also linking with local clubs, schools and leisure providers who are providing additional teaching staff which is essential for local knowledge. Jo will be working next week with Connextions to develop an induction process for prospective teachers. This will hopefully make people who are looking to either start work or retrain consider Swimming Teaching / Coaching as a career.

 

This week Jemma Konuralp (Swim 21 Quality co-ordinator) assessed Bethnal Green Sharks and watched an evening of Dagenham SC learn to swim section and Greenwich Borough Mariners competitive section.  She has spent the rest of her time running round in circles preparing for the Regional Panel on Saturday.  Next week Jemma will be catching up with everyone else and chasing all those clubs due to revalidate, re-accredit and accredit at the August panel

 

This week Jo Calvino (Aquatic Development Programme Co-Ordinator) has been working on gathering the final details of the Spring Conference which see’s Team Manager training for all disciplines, how to teach disabled performers and an Individual Medley Master Class taking place on Saturday 23^rd May at Colfes School, spaces are still available so hurry to book you place now click here.

With a focus on planning & programming for the master class programme for the remainder of the year, confirming athletes, venues & dates Jo has been kept busy, and will continue to be for the next few weeks whilst she is adjusting her attentions to her tutor training & attachments.

Breaststroke Master class - 28^th  June  with Jane Asher

Freestyle Master Class -  11^th July

5 day Master Class Camp (including video) – 24^th-28^th August with Jo Jackson

 

 

Returning to work with loads of new ideas based on a week’s intense training, Bastien Wallace (Project Manager, Barking & Dagenham) has spent time navigating the set-up procedures necessary to the start of the apprenticeship.  She secretly wonders how many assistants Alan Sugar has on the case with paperwork (wink)!  Bastien has also begun the planning process for summer activities with Centre Managers and also the start of signposting between services that deliver summer activities for children across Barking & Dagenham.”