Swim England – ASA Rebrands and announces new 4-year Strategic Plan
The history of Swim England spans almost 150 years; when established in 1869, it was the only governing body for swimming in the world – it still maintains governance of swimming, diving, water polo, open water and synchronised swimming in England, with close links to British Swimming – a federation of the Scottish, English and Welsh organisations.
From its origins as the London Swimming Association, then the Metropolitan Swimming Association, it quickly evolved into a national association, the ASA, responsible for the development and regulation of swimming as a sport.
On 6th March 1953, Her Majesty the Queen became the organisation’s patron, championing swimming and water safety. During Her Majesty’s 90th birthday celebrations, volunteers from various roles were invited to represent the organisation.
In January 2017 it was announced that HRH The Duke of Cambridge would be taking over the patronage from Her Majesty.
Our vision is of a nation swimming and we strive to inspire everyone to enjoy the water in the way that suits them. We work with our partners to create engaging programmes that enable everyone to be active, have fun and stay healthy through swimming.
Each month millions of people are able to enjoy swimming, diving, water polo and synchronised swimming because they have been through our renowned Swim England Learn to Swim Programme.
Ensuring people are safe in the water is of paramount importance to us and so we work closely with partners to keep water safety high on the national agenda.
At our heart Swim England is a membership organisation dedicated to supporting our clubs and members to develop and succeed. We maintain the laws of the sport and run world-class national events that are open to all.
We also operate a comprehensive range of qualification and education programmes for teachers, coaches, officials and tutors.
Read our strategic plan for swimming in England 2017-21, Towards a Nation Swimming
We have a clear ambition. We want to create a society where everyone has the opportunity to learn how to swim, is supported to develop their skills, and enjoys the water throughout their lifetime. That is why we have launched our new Swim England strategy, Towards a nation swimming: a strategic plan for swimming in England 2017-21.
