It has been a week since the Scottish Government announced a £40m funding boost for Scottish sport, including the long-awaited support and commitment to school swimming through a learn to swim offer for primary school children. Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Shona Robison, revealed a total uplift of £40m for sports funding in 2026. Around £18m… Continue reading Reflections on the Scottish Budget
Category: General
Scottish Swimming welcomes Government funding for School Swimming
Scottish Swimming is delighted by the Scottish Government Budget announcement to support school swimming through a learn to swim offer for primary school children. This much needed and timely funding will benefit thousands of young people across Scotland, equipping children with the vital water safety knowledge and basic swimming skills to keep them safer in,… Continue reading Scottish Swimming welcomes Government funding for School Swimming
Scotland’s most disadvantaged children miss out on life-saving swimming lessons
New figures from a report by Integratis Consulting reveal that just 16% of participants in community learn to swim lessons come from SIMD Quintile 1, considered to be the most deprived areas of Scotland. With a 53% real terms increase in the cost of swimming lessons since 2018 it is clear why. School swimming across… Continue reading Scotland’s most disadvantaged children miss out on life-saving swimming lessons
Cap celebrating 10 years of swimming programme created by Glasgow youngster
An eleven year old boy from Glasgow has made waves after winning a national competition to design a commemorative swimming cap celebrating the 10th anniversary of Scotland’s Learn to Swim programme. Reuben Norbury, who attends swimming lessons at Glasgow Club Maryhill, received the first cap bearing his winning design before his final lesson of the… Continue reading Cap celebrating 10 years of swimming programme created by Glasgow youngster
56% increase in people learning to swim in Scotland
The number of Scots taking part in the Learn to Swim programme across the country is close to the pre-Covid high with a 56% increase over the past seven years, an independent report has revealed. An evaluation report by Integratis Consulting found that participation in the programme, a joint initiative between Scottish Water and Scottish… Continue reading 56% increase in people learning to swim in Scotland
Records continue to fall in Edinburgh
Day 2 of the Scottish National Short Course Open Swimming Championships saw both Lucy Grieve and Matt Ward continue their record breaking form, with Faye Rogers and Evi Mackie also lowering national standards in their respective events. Lucy Grieve (University of Stirling) lowered her own 100m butterfly Scottish Record by over half a second in… Continue reading Records continue to fall in Edinburgh
69% rise in swimmers with a disability marks major leap for inclusion
Scotland is seeing a major rise in the number of children with disabilities learning to swim, with new figures showing a 69% increase in just one year. A report published by Scottish Swimming and Scottish Water reveals that of the almost 82,000 children who took part in the Learn to Swim Framework up to March… Continue reading 69% rise in swimmers with a disability marks major leap for inclusion
Running on Empty
The Scottish Government pledged to double annual funding for sport to £100m in its 2021 Programme for Government but with less than six months of this Parliament left, that commitment remains unfulfilled. 39 governing bodies across Scotland, including Scottish Swimming, have been pressing the Government through our Running on Empty campaign, to meet this commitment… Continue reading Running on Empty
38 athletes call for lasting legacy from the Commonwealth Games for school swimming
Olympians Katie Shanahan and Duncan Scott OBE led the charge for school swimming in a hand delivered letter to the First Minister yesterday from 38 athletes. The letter, which calls for a lasting legacy and impact from the Commonwealth Games for children across Scotland was hand delivered by Shanahan at the Scottish Parliament with support… Continue reading 38 athletes call for lasting legacy from the Commonwealth Games for school swimming
Women in Sport Week: Erin Cummins
As part of Scottish Women & Girls in Sport Week 2025, we spoke to Scottish Swimming’s School Swimming Aquatics Development Manager Erin Cummins, who has recently taken part in the Women’s Sport Leadership Academy (WSLA). WSLA is a unique development opportunity for women leaders from around the world to develop their own leadership style and… Continue reading Women in Sport Week: Erin Cummins