Club volunteers help run community pool

Club volunteers at Hawarden Swimming Club are working towards achieving their Swimming New Zealand Swim Teacher Award and National Certificate in Recreation & Sport (Aquatics) Swim Ed.

The Club helps to run the local school and community pool and being open to the public means they need to have trained people to monitor the water during the season – a job that falls to a few dedicated locals.

Four club volunteers recently attended a Swim Teacher Course in Rangiora, North Canterbury with the intention of just attending the workshop but were thrilled to realise that they too, as a summer only club, were able to work with SNZ to achieve the full qualification.

A long running feature at the pool is the Learn to Swim Week. In 1976 two local ladies started a Swim Week, teaching local children water confidence, swimming and survival skills. This week has continued almost uninterrupted every January since then.

Volunteer coaches teach about 50 children aged three years and up with some coaches clocking up nearly 20 years of service to Learn to Swim Week.

Hawarden Club is made up of about 130 key-holding families or individuals from the Hawarden-Waikari area and is one of five clubs that make up the Hurunui Country Swimming Club (along with Amberley, Cheviot, Culverden and Hanmer Springs).

If your summer only club would like to have your swim teachers / coaches achieve this qualification please contact your nearest Swim Safe Advisor.