About The Club
Mission Statement
"The Club undertakes to assist young people to attain swimming skills and personal development in water safety. The Club incorporates in its instruction programme, training in Life Saving Skills to the RLSS National Awards Standards."
"To advance the physical education of children and young people 6 years and over by the provision of facilities for aquatic sports and the preservation of human life by the teaching of swimming, water safety and lifesaving skills."
Club Objective
When and Where
The Club meets on Wednesday evenings at Birtley Swimming Centre from 19:00 to 21:00 during School Term Time. The evening is structured into a First Session (19:00 to 19:50) and Second Session (20:00 to 20:50).
When
Every Wednesday
Where
Birtley Swimming Centre
1st Session
19:00 to 19:50
2nd Session
20:00 to 20:50
Annual Membership
£25.00
Weekly Subscription
£3.50
Non-Attendance
£2.00
Club Fees
The Annual Membership Fee is used for Swim England Club Affiliation Fees which covers the Club Members Swim England membership Fee and Insurance Cover. It is also used for the Royal Life Saving Society Club Affiliation Fees and the Club Instructors RLSS Membership Fees.
The Weekly Subscription covers the cost of the Pool Hire charges, and the cost of ALL CLUB AWARDS gained by the Members. It also helps to provide for Instructor Training Course Fees, the purchase of any club equipment and the necessary Club administration expenses.
History of The Club
The Club was established in 1974. The original concept was, and still is, for the Club to be a 'teaching' and 'water safety awareness' organisation that helps young people to understand the principles and to receive training in 'lifesaving', as well as assisting them to learn to swim and assist in their personal development in this leisure activity.
It should be understood that the Club is not for young people who wish to train to become speed or competitive swimmers.
Established
1974
Main Focus
Water Safety Awareness
Competitive?
No.......
Affiliations
Royal Life Saving Society UK
On September 3rd 2014 Birtley Amateur Swimming Club celebrated its 40th year as a club. The celebrations night commenced with a formal welcome, the singing of Happy Birthday to the club, the cutting of a birthday cake and photographs. The night continued with various demonstrations of swimming and lifesaving skills, both in the pool and on the poolside.
The invited guests, along with the Mayor of Gateshead and seven of the original founders of the club, enjoyed hospitality and refreshments in the club meeting room. They were able to view visual displays, read the Minutes Book and all of the back copies of the Club Newsletter (The Splash) dating from November 1995. There are three issues of The Splash produced each year.
Club members were each presented with a gift from the club in the form of a shoulder bag with the Club 40th Year Celebration logo embroidered on it and with a club colours cup cake.
Since the club was established on 3rd September 1974, well over 5 million lengths of the 25 metre pool have been completed by its past and present members.
The original concept was, and still is, for the club to be a ‘teaching’ and ‘water safety awareness’ organisation. This helps young people to understand the principles and to receive training in lifesaving, as well as teaching them to learn to swim and assist in their personal development in this leisure activity.
Prior to 1972, Birtley Town had an open air pool that was located on the site of the present fire station on Durham Road.
Birtley also had a number of other pools that were made due to the extraction of clay for the brickworks that Birtley was famous for.
It was in these clay pits that local boys would sometimes play. There were a number of times when boys got into difficulties whilst swimming in the clay pits and there were occasions when some boys drowned by going through ice that had formed on the water.
One of the doctors, Dr Hugh McKay, was the Chairman of the Birtley Parish Council and he declared when the proposal for a new indoor swimming pool was made that he would make sure that a swimming club was established with the prime purpose of teaching young people to swim but that there was to be a strong element of lifesaving instruction to be included in the structure of the club.
With lifesaving being an integral part of the club structure, the club is affiliated to the Royal Life Saving Society UK and is a member of RLSS UK Northumberland and Durham Branch.
We have recently registered the club as a Duke of Edinburgh Awards Facilitator as we provide for three of the four elements of the Award structure within the weekly programme.
