Colin Brown (Director) - This week: Unfortunately illness prevented Colin from taking part in the BBC relay team of the Cold Water Championships at Tooting Bec Lido and speaking at the Club and County conference in Leicestershire. At the start of the week the London Swimming Board made their decision on the Beacon Programme

http://www.londonswimming.org/news/article/display/228.

Colin also attended an excellent cross London networking session where the CEO of Islington, senior figures in Lewisham and Hackney Councils and the CEO of a Faith Regeneration Charity became useful contacts. Later in the week Colin and Cathy met with the Director of Sport for Brunel University, Hillingdon Council and Pro-Active West, which has helped move both forward our University engagement agenda and the vision for the new pool in Hillingdon. At the end of the week Colin and Janna will be meeting with David Everett (MP) to see how he can support developments in Bexley.

Next week:

and the London Director of the Learning and Skills Council on the coaching bursaries outlined below and other funding opportunities. Later in the week Colin and Janna will be presenting a draft report on the 'state of swimming in the Olympic Boroughs' as part of an ongoing dialogue with the sports leads for Greenwich, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Waltham Forest. The highlight next week will be a visit to the High Performance Centre in Aldershot to further my understanding of Synchro.

 

This week Mark Griggs (EO) spent a lot of time updating the London Swimming Website and training opportunities that are available. Mark also attended the Mini Polo tutor training in Waltham Abby.

 

Mark would like to remind everyone that the 66% skills active coaching bursaries are only available until the end of March, and the criteria has changed to include those working leisure centres. Details at http://londonswimming.org/page/:Funding_Opportunities or www.skillsactive.com/coachingbursary

 

The following training opportunities still have spaces, please book now as a 10 day cut off date is now in force.

 

Mon 25-Feb-08 - Working Behavioral Problems - Sutton Civic Offices, Sutton

Mon 3-Mar-08 - Rookie Lifeguard - Harrow Leisure Centre, Harrow

Thu 6-Mar-08 - Mini Polo - Dagenham Swimming Pool - Barking & Dags

Sat 8-Mar-08 - Teaching Beginners - Sylvestrian Leisure Centre, Waltham Forest

 

 

18-22 Feb Whitgift School - Croydon

18 - 22 Feb Finsbury Leisure Centre - Islington

23, 24 Feb 1 Mar Every Saturday 8 Mar - 5 Apr - Barnet Copthall Leisure Centre- Barnet

1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Mar- Erith Leisure Centre - Bexley

 

Level 1 Coaching Synchronised Swimming

28 Feb - 1 Mar 15 - 16 Mar Bridge Leisure Centre - Lewisham

 

For more information, to download booking forms, or funding opportunities for any IOS course or seminar, please visit www.londonswimming.org

 

 

Next week Cathy Carr (RDO) will be attending the new Aqua Teen, girls water-based aerobic sessions in both Ealing and Harrow and meeting with Mark Burgess, Pro-Active West Partnership Manager to discuss the successful funding for further Aqua Extreme activity in the West of London. Cathy will be attending the first West London National Governing Body's forum at Brunel University and meeting with Suzanne Philpot to discuss school swimming. Towards the end of the week, Cathy will be meeting with Haringey Council to look at Borough Pathways and on Friday Cathy will be attending the staff theme day in the office.

Masters Research : Some Medical students, from St George’s Medical School London, are currently researching the effects that the menopause has on women who participate in masters swimming. They have developed an online survey that takes approximately 10 minutes to complete which they are using to find out how menopausal symptoms affect women's performance. They would be very grateful if you could either complete the survey yourself, if appropriate, or inform women masters in your club of the research should they wish to complete the questionnaire. The link is:

 

 

Last week Janna Callan (RDO), assisted Greenwich Council in organising the Greenwich Olympic Swimming Workshop. If any Greenwich resident swimmers aged between 8 years old and 18 years old would like to take part, then please see this link: http://www.londonswimming.org/news/article/display/230

 

This week Ben Campion (RDO) spent the beginning of the week working on some of the detail for the Director of Swimming position in Southwark in advance of the interviews.  Rest of the week has been focused on completing funding bids. Next week my focus will be finalising details for both Southwark job and the water polo coaching position.

 

This week Jo Calvino (RDDO) has been working on a new competition & its conditions, and finalizing efforts to review how National Skills will go this year, details will follow shortly. Jo met with Andrew Clark, GLL, to review diving programmes within their sites, but also to discuss the refurbishment of York Hall, Tower Hamlets, which was a very positive development. Jo is creating a database of clubs & pools in London for diving. Jo met with Tony Ally (British Diving Fitness coach), to discuss the future of the English Talent Programme. Jo is on annual leave next week Monday till Wednesday as she is moving in to her new flat, and recovering from European trials (weightlifting) this weekend.

 

This week saw Jo Melchior (EDS – Lewisham), preparing for her Steering Group meeting, which in the end was cancelled, however Jo changed her diary and attended some interesting and useful network meetings. Jo has also been working hard on the media profile of Everyday Swim and Swimming on a local, London and national level. The week ended working alongside her colleagues from Swim Gospel to start on the monitoring and evaluation of the participants and to plan the closing party. Those who want to see what the Swim Gospel launch looked like and have a spare 10 mins then go to You Tube.Com and type in Swim Gospel and there is a video clip that gives you a flavour. Next week sees Jo attending the EDS National network meeting in Loughborough and rearranging her steering group meeting.

 

Annabel Kehoe (EDS-Islington) spent last week working on several projects and planning the implementation of the Liquid Swim Programme at other Islington sites. She also worked with Mark Griggs to organise another Level 1 Teaching Aquatics course to be held in Islington. The course will run for 5 days starting the 15th March. For further details and to enrol on the course, log onto www.londonswimming.org.

Next week, Annabel will be heading to Loughborough to attend the Everyday Swim National Network meeting for 2 days. She will be concluding the week by meeting with the Youth Council members and attending London Swimming’s team day.

 

Nest week Ellie Purvis (IOS tutor) will be supporting Mike Gallagher with an intensive level 2 at Feltham Airparcs, as well as doing expert witness training, and internally verifying level 1 in Alton.