Everyday Swim Where are we now? Helen Graupp-Fisher / Corinna Hudson / Darryl Wilson SUFFOLK

Session Outline Give a brief overview of what the project set out to achieve. Highlight the number of different projects that have been undertaken. Show case four projects, highlighting what the monitoring and evaluation has picked up. Future direction for the project. Concluding remarks and questions.

Background The focus for Everyday Swim, Suffolk, falls under three main themes: –Young people aged –45+ and –Rural access issues. Interventions will target: –barriers to swimming –increase participation in the defined groups –develop a sustainable swimming strategy. The strategy for achieving these goals are: –engage the community to help identify barriers –develop programmes that enable access for those groups –monitor and evaluate what works and what doesn't work

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Where the projects have been taking place

Open Days - Background Purpose: to understand whether the concept would encourage non swimmers or infrequent swimmers aged 45+ to take part in swimming. Each pilot Open Day aimed to raise awareness and gather information…but also regarded as interventions in their own right. Incentives to attend included lunch, opportunity to chat to manager, tour of the facilities and a prize of one year's free swimming for one person at each Open Day. Each pilot Open Day used a different marketing strategy to identify which was best for targeting the 45+ group. Outreach work was considered much more effective for this intervention than newspaper article and promoting via (e.g.) the library.

Open Days - Headline Results In total 35 people attended the first round of Open Days. 27 were female, 8 were male All were over / 35 (77%) respondents participated in the 'aquatone' activity. 15 / 35 (43%) had not participated in any form of swimming in the past year. However, only 3 of the people interviewed had never swum before. Can be argued that the Open Days had a market penetration effect by appealing to people that had swum before. With limited market development i.e. attracting new swimmers to the pool.

Swim Diaries - Background Inspired by a glut of requests for a case study of an adult who recently learned to swim. Aim: to gather a set of case studies that are particular to adult non-swimmers in Suffolk, providing experiential data of use to Pool Operators, Everyday Swim coordinators and other stakeholders. It was aimed at adults 45+ male and female (only female took part). The incentive was a 75% reduction in the cost of a swim course. In return participants kept a diary of their experience. The swim diaries have been very effective at raising awareness, because people seem naturally drawn to them.

Swim Diaries - Headline Findings Most participants had an awful experiences as a child and thought they would never get in a pool again. Despite EXTREMELY high anxiety levels most had very good reasons for wanting to learn to swim. Once they are in the pool many participants feel more at ease than they expected to A good relationship and trust in the instructor makes all the difference Many participants enjoyed the social aspect The week in between lessons is enough time to build up anxiety again. Most people experienced a backwards step along the way, but by week four many have increased confidence and are starting to see real progress The impact on confidence is significant Most participants who finished the course, signed up for more lessons straight away or continued to swim recreationally Outside bodies are very interested in the Swim Diaries, it’s a useful marketing tool.

£10 Swims - Background Aimed at any adult's who can't swim (1 in 5) and those who would not go into the pool without support. Marketing: Suffolk wide participation. Pool providers involvement. Initially non profit making Participants: Finally deciding to learn. Counteracting the excuses including cost. Courses; length, timings, location, teachers Exit routes. 241s.

£10 Swims - Headline Results In total 185 questionnaire have been completed from across Suffolk. Marketing - the majority of people heard about the initiative through their local pool (121 / 185) 65%. Impact / 185 (77%) respondents could not swim 25 meters or more unaided. Could be argued the project had market development effects. Why - respondents were also asked why they wanted to learn to swim with 104 / 185 (56%) stating that thy wanted to be able to swim on a regular occasion i.e. once a week. Gender - 51 males and 134 females. Age / 185 (58%) respondents were 45+

Family Carers - Background Who are the family carers? 90,000 in Suffolk. Group cohesion, motivation and support Buy in, market segmentation shows motivated to action by an ‘expert’ giving first hand advise. Partner support including administration Key points – times, location, teacher, programme. Financial arrangements and exit routes.

Family Carers - Headline Results In total 55 questionnaire have been completed from across Suffolk. Impact - 20 / 55 (36%) respondents could not swim 25 meters or more unaided. On a smaller scale it still could be argued the project had market development effects. In addition, of the 35 respondents that could swim 15 had not done so in the last year, a further 15 had only swum once in the last year with only 5 respondents going in the last four weeks. 90 % of respondents stated they would swim more frequently if there was a pre designated group for support. Gender - 11 males and 44 females. Age - 47 / 55 (86%) respondents were 45+

Future Direction Follow up interviews will be conducted with people who have participated in the £10 swims initiative and the family carers initiative. Suffolk specific : dissemination of learning via Suffolk Everyday Swim conference to eastern region. Continuation as a centre for good practice would include: 1.Pool providers meetings, key to continuing support; 2.Expansion of successful projects countywide and community wide into self-supporting initiatives. E.g. Group swimming. 3.Continue to trial new projects that haven’t got off the ground yet, particularly when initiated by local swimming community, such as a teacher keen to set up teen learn to swim. 4.Linking underused pools to teachers, swim schools and the community. Finally, to complete any additional reports around Monitoring and Evaluation

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