Swimming (Please check our News and Events page for the current swimming program)
The history of swimming lessons and the Little Rays goes as far back as
the Autumn of 2007 at Penstowe holiday park thanks to the help of
Adrian Parsons.
At about the same time Bude Free Spirits made a generous
donation which they requested be put to a specific use. We now had
swimming lessons and all the aids, bouyancy jackets and swimming toys we needed.
As the spring of 2008 unfolded, the pool at Penstowe became no longer
available. We were back to square one. We continued using Splash for swimming lessons, each child funded by their parents. But then Splash closed for quite a while towards the end of 2008, which put swimming lessons in jeopardy. As a stop-gap, one of the instuctors, Vikki Clacey, negotiated the use of a pool in Marhamchurch and so was able to continue giving the Little Rays swimming lessons.
Come spring 2009, Splash re-opens and the pool in Marhamchurch is once again required by holiday-makers. Again we were to be mightily blessed, the owners of Trevalgas Holiday Park offered us the use of their swimming pool on Saturdays, during holiday makers change over time.
Swimming lessons take place every Saturday 12:30 - 15:00 depending on how many turn up. Vikki gives every child 20-30 minutes one to one tuition and if there's time over; their brothers and sisters get a bit of help as well.
Vikki has a wonderful patience with our children. What may appear just a few steps, is in reality a mile hike for these kids. So I have to report that, as yet, we have no olympic champions in the group. But, their confidence in water has been given a massive boost. We have Harvey who is fearless, leaps into the pool at the drop of a hat. We just have to make sure that there's always someone there, and he is one of our Little Rays who actually can swim, sometimes, under water but he can swim. There's Jacob who started off having to be man handled into the pool (He's really tiny) then the rest of the lesson saying "no, no, no" almost constantly for half and hour. Now, with the aid of a float, zips up and down the pool spashing all before him with maniacal glee.
We have Jack who used to take about 20 minutes to be persuaded into the pool, now only takes about 5 minutes. James who belts up and down the pool with his brothers and dad, I do believe his foot touches the bottom now and again and Jamie who has loads of fun, but like the rest of us still learning.
Then of course, their brothers and sisters have come on as well.
The wonderful thing about all this is, thanks the generosity of people, not only in and near Bude, but further afield as well, Is that the Little Rays have been able to learn along with the rest of their families without them having to bear the extra cost, one of the main objectives we try to achieve as a group.
Families have a day out, in addition, the Little Rays and their siblings were learning to swim and loads of fun.
As a footnote, both Vikki and Adrian have been awarded "Community Volunteer of the Year 2009" by the Cornwall Sports Partnership. You can see all the details at:-
We now had
swimming lessons and all the aids, bouyancy jackets and swimming toys we needed.
with his brothers and dad, I do believe his foot touches the bottom now and again and Jamie who has loads of fun, but like the rest of us still learning.