The ‘Thursday Night Swimming Group' has been running for some time now & we have seen a staggering increase in our membership over the years. We run two separate sessions for the children, they are, 18.30 to 19.15 for members who cannot yet swim 25 metres & from 19.15 to 20.00 for those who can swim 25 metres & more. We try & ensure we have a ration of 1 helper to 1 swimmer with ‘watchers' on poolside. However, these sessions are about much more than ‘who can & who cannot' swim 25 metres.

Our members have a wide variety of needs, some attend mainstream schools & others do not; yet when they attend swim club on a Thursday evening they are at liberty to ‘be themselves'. To play, make a noise, splash, laugh, cry, jump off the side of the pool, have races on the floats, be grumpy, explore the filters & waterfalls with their hands or legs, see if something floats, try & get the sinkers off the bottom of the pool, expend all the energy they have, but more importantly to make friends & just have some fun whilst they are learning to swim! This is only possible due to the band of dedicated helpers who come every week & the very supportive parents who travel from far & wide to bring their children swimming. Despite all the play, or perhaps because of it, we have had some swimming success, with our more experienced swimmers taking part in galas and coming away with medals! We have also been fortunate to receive funding from Children in Need, Suffolk ACRE, Stowmarket Town Council & Stowmarket Charities to name a few, this valuable funding has been a big help in keeping these sessions part of swim club.

We have adult members too, one swimmer going on to achieve times to enter the National Disabilities Gala. The adult section swim on a Friday evening 21.00 to 22.00, in training lanes with our senior club swimmers & take part in full training sessions where they can. All members of Stowmarket Swim Club are encouraged to take part in competition and a great way to start is the Club Champs where many of our younger swimmers take part in a ‘fun race' with helpers swimming alongside, this year we would like to see more individual entries too!

If you would like to know more about our Thursday Night Swimming Group, either as a member or helper, please feel free to contact Bobbie Wilson, 01449 674640 or wilson.family@btinternet.com, thank you.

It is proving to be a huge success and here are just a few stories from the parent's of the swimmers who take part.

We are so pleased that we saw the advert for the Thursday night special needs swimming sessions, in the Suffolk Autism project newsletter in January 2004. The sessions have given George the chance to learn to swim.

It is so lovely for us to see our little boy swim he really enjoys being in the water and looks forward to it every week.

With the help and understanding that the Stowmarket Swimming Club has given George, he has now got his 5 and 10 metres certificates.

George used to just cling to us in the pool, but he now swims with confidence and a smile on his face.

A big thank you to all of you who give up your time on a Thursday evening, it is very much appreciated.

- David, Susan and George

My son Aaron has been coming to the Thursday sessions for over a year now. I saw an advert in the Suffolk Autism Project's newsletter saying that the Stowmarket Swimming Club welcomed children with Autism and Aspergers!

Aaron has Aspergers Syndrome which amongst other difficulties has affected his co-ordination, concentration and how he socialises with other people.

When Aaron first started despite us paying for private one-to-one tuition he could not swim a length and was too anxious to get into the big pool with Debbie.

Now there is no stopping him – he loves the classes and recently got his 400 metre badge. (Making it six badges Mum had to sew on his towel!)

More importantly he has been able to socialise with all the young 'Seals' who help. They are all great role models and I really appreciate all the time and effort they have put in. I know they have not been told about any of the children's disabilities and yet they seem to know how to get the best out of our children.

Aaron has great fun every week and I would like to thank all the adults and children who have encouraged him.

- Jo