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Children at the Applemore and Waterside
Swimming Club enjoy new equipment funded by ExxonMobil, as club
volunteers watch.
• Photograph by Ian Jackson |
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A popular swimming club which aims to make the sport affordable
for all children has bought £500 worth of new equipment,
thanks to a grant from Esso and ExxonMobil Chemical at Fawley.
The money has been donated under a special scheme designed to recognise
the efforts of ExxonMobil employees and their families who contribute
their time, talent and energy to schools, charities and non-profit
making organisations. The scheme not only helps local organisations,
but also improves the links between ExxonMobil and the local community.
The Applemore and Waterside Swimming Club, based at Applemore Health
and Leisure Centre has spent the money on a variety of different
swimming aids including floats, weighted hoops and fins for the benefit
of the 170 children who regularly attend.
Maintenance and reliability leader at ExxonMobil Chemical and also
recipient of the grant for the club, Gary Barrow said: “All
the youngsters clearly have fun and get a lot of enjoyment from being
in the pool.
“It is important that all children have the opportunity to
learn this valuable skill, particularly as many of them live so close
to the coast. Clubs like ours aim to make swimming available to all
children. A grant of this size not only makes a huge difference to
the way the club is able to teach but it greatly enhances the enjoyment
of the children in the water.”
The Applemore and Waterside Swimming Club has been running for over
20 years and many children are being brought by parents who themselves
learned to swim at the club. The club meets on a Saturday at Applemore
Health and Leisure Centre and is run by volunteer instructors, with
the assistance of hired lifeguards and the full support of Applemore
Health and Leisure.
The ExxonMobil Volunteer Involvement Programme has so far contributed
more than £100,000 to local community projects, since it was
started two years ago. |
