The Cheltenham Trust has launched The Big Splash, a new fundraising campaign to help local disadvantaged children access swimming lessons and develop essential water safety skills for free at Leisure at Cheltenham.
New research by the BBC has highlighted a significant gap in swimming attainment among children in England. While an average of 72% of Year 6 pupils were able to swim 25 metres when they left primary school in 2024-25, this fell to just 55% in schools with higher proportions of disadvantaged children. Locally in Cheltenham, this figure falls to just 34% in some schools.
For families, the opportunity to learn to swim can be affected by a range of factors, including the cost and availability of lessons, access to local swimming facilities and the time and expense involved in travelling to them. The Big Splash aims to help remove some of these barriers locally, giving more children the opportunity to learn to swim, develop confidence in the water and build skills that could one day save their lives. The Cheltenham Trust will work in partnership with local schools to identify children who need support to access swimming and water safety lessons.
“Learning to swim is an essential life skill and every child should have the opportunity to develop the skills and confidence they need to be safe in and around water. Swimming is about so much more than being able to swim 25 metres. It’s about confidence, independence, enjoyment and knowing what to do if you find yourself in difficulty in the water. We want to help as many children as possible have that opportunity.” said Shelley Dobson-Stevens, Head of Leisure at The Cheltenham Trust.
“We know that families are facing increasing financial pressures and that accessing regular swimming lessons isn't always easy. The Big Splash is about opening that opportunity to more local children, so that cost isn't a barrier to learning such an important skill.”
The campaign will support children at different stages of their swimming journey, from developing early water confidence through to building the skills needed to swim safely and independently. There are several fundraising activities planned as part of The Big Splash, with every pound raised going towards free or subsidised swimming lessons at Leisure at Cheltenham.
A donation of £8.50 would fund one swimming lesson for a child, £35 is a space on an intensive swimming course to build vital life-saving skills and £85 would provide a 10-week swimming course to build water confidence for an adult and child.
The campaign is bringing together The Cheltenham Trust team with ten staff members and trustees, including CEO Jessica Brewster, donning their running shoes to take part in the half marathon and 10k at Run Cheltenham 20 September to raise funds for The Big Splash. Cheltenham Trust staff will also host one of the event’s water stations, helping to keep runners hydrated along the route.
“We’re really passionate about The Big Splash because it gives our community the opportunity to make a direct and positive difference to local children,” said Jessica Brewster, CEO of The Cheltenham Trust.
“Every donation will help us provide more lessons, reach more children and give them the chance to develop skills that can benefit them for life. Swim England’s recent evidence that almost 500 publicly available swimming pools have closed in England since 2010 also highlights how vital our pools at Leisure at Cheltenham are for our local communities. We look forward to continuing to work with Cheltenham Borough Council to preserve these vital local assets for the future.”
Cllr Izaac Tailford, cabinet member for economic development, wellbeing, culture and public realm, added: "Too many children are missing out on the opportunity to learn to swim, often because of circumstances beyond their family's control. That's why initiatives such as The Big Splash are so important. By working together with The Cheltenham Trust, local schools and our wider community, we can help ensure more children have access to swimming lessons, develop vital water safety skills and gain the confidence that comes from learning something new. This campaign is an investment in our children, their wellbeing and, ultimately, their safety."
The Big Splash is raising funds to provide free and subsidised swimming lessons for local children and young people. To support the campaign, please visit our website to donate to The Big Splash.
