Olympian Mel Marshall Launches Make a Splash in Brent
Thursday 02 February 2012 at 09:44
Brent school children are being taught to swim in a mobile swimming pool, which has been built at Preston Park Primary School as part of the Mayor of London’s Make a Splash programme.
The facility is getting the official seal of approval today by World, European and Commonwealth swimming medallist Mel Marshall.
Marshall, who is also a double Olympian, said: “Swimming is an important life skill that all children should learn while having lots of fun in the process. The Make a Splash programme is making this possible for the youngsters here in Wembley.
“The children are having a great time learning to swim in this pool, and I want to encourage the local community to make the most of this brilliant facility while it’s here at Preston Park Primary School.”
Make a Splash, which is part of the Mayor of London’s Olympic Legacy Programme, is designed to ensure a lasting legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Total Swimming, which manages and delivers the programme, will be taking the Make a Splash mobile pool to seven more locations across London by 2013. The programme is also delivered in partnership with the Variety Club and MWB Business Exchange.
The programme at Preston Park Primary School is aiming to teach around 1,000 local children to swim, and will deliver hundreds of lessons over the three month period.
It is hoped that this will help local children achieve the National Curriculum target of learning to swim 25m unaided by the time they leave primary school.
One in five children in the England leave primary school without being able to swim, and this statistic can rise to four in five in communities with limited access to a pool.
Out of school hours, the pool is open to the wider community, with a programme of lessons and activities aimed at getting more people in the local area active and enjoying swimming. Sessions cost just £2 each and the programme of activities is available on the Make a Splash website.
Head Teacher of Preston Park Primary School, John Redpath, said: ‘This is the second time in the past 3 years that we have had a mobile pool at the school. This time the project is even bigger and better and we expect that over 1,000 children from the local community will have the chance to learn to swim.’
The project at Preston Park Primary School has received funding support from Brent Council and NHS Brent, with the aim of encouraging more local people to get active.
Further information about the Make a Splash programme, including timetables and booking details for the project at Preston Park Primary School, can be found here.
The pool will remain at Preston Park Primary School until 31st March.
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