Get Britain Sch...wimming
Coca‑Cola looks to increase sports participation by training new coaches
Coca‑Cola is working with The Swimming Trust (TST) to train up to 120 new swimming teachers and coaches as part of our commitment to active, healthy lifestyles.
The partnership builds on the success of our Schweppes Abbey Well Schwim Free campaign, which offers consumers a free swim at participating pools in England, Scotland and Wales in exchange for promotional Schweppes Abbey Well bottle tops.
The Schwim Free promotion is now closed. Over the course of the three-year campaign, more than 175,000 Schweppes Abbey Well bottle tops were exchanged for free swims.
When the Schwim Free scheme was launched in March 2009, Coca‑Cola committed to make a donation to projects to get Britain swimming, and has now donated £50,000 to The Swimming Trust. The money will be used for a Teacher Coach Education Grant Fund offering training opportunities for volunteers within swimming, diving, synchronised swimming and water polo clubs across the UK.
Swimming coaches for skills success
- A properly trained and qualified swimming teacher or coach is the key to ensuring those learning to swim, or improving their swimming ability, have a quality experience
- A coach will provide consumers and families with a life skill they can and will want to use throughout their life
- On average, a swimming teacher provides 288 hours of instruction per year, giving a quality, structured swimming experience to around 190 people
- Coca‑Cola's donation of £50,000 will see some 22,000 people learning to swim and participating regularly as a result of our funding
Jon Woods, Coca‑Cola Country Manager, UK and Ireland said: "We're delighted to donate this money to The Swimming Trust to help even more people get active. Almost 50,000 took part in the first year of the scheme and we hope this year will be even bigger and better with 440 pools signed up, including 90 across London."
Dennis Yeoman, Chairman of The Swimming Trust, said: "With the help of Schweppes Abbey Well's 'Schwim Free' campaign The Swimming Trust will be able to increase the number of quality trained swimming teachers and coaches, giving more people the opportunity to learn a fundamental life skill that will help them stay active throughout their lives."
