The John Walker Find Your Field of Dreams Community Swim programme was developed and launched in 2008 to address the barriers schools face in providing swimming lessons to their children. It is a fully funded by the Lion Foundation, Auckland Council, Water Safety New Zealand, Potter Masonic Trust and Stevenson Village Trust and others, to name a few.
By providing FREE swimming lessons, they are incorporating water skills for life swim lessons, pool entry, transportation to and from the school and the instructors. Therefore, the basic yet essential skills of swimming and how to be safe in and around water are being taught at no charge to the school.
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Who is it for?
The programme continues to deliver approximately 160,000 FREE lessons each year to 20,000 children in Year’s 3, 4, 5 and 6 from 91 Primary schools across Auckland South.
How does it work?
Lessons are held at Manurewa Aquatic Centre, Papatoetoe Centennial Pools, Otara Leisure Centre, Moana Nui A Kiwa Leisure Centre in Mangere, Lloyd Elsmore Park Leisure Centre Pakuranga.
The programme incorporates the 27 skills from Water Skills for Life programme, along with the skills and drills of learning to swim.
Schools receive 8 lessons, once a week for 8 weeks, for one school term.
The children’s water safety skills are recorded on Water Safety New Zealand database.
How can I apply?
Schools interested in participating in the Community Swim programme can email: Amanda Meyrick - amanda@swimgym.nz