Belgravia Leisure introduces inclusive ‘All In’ swimming program at Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre

Belgravia Leisure, in partnership with Special Olympics, Parafed Auckland and Swimming New Zealand, has announced the launch of the ‘All In’ inclusive swimming program.

Available to people living with physical and/or intellectual impairment, the program offers access to subsidised learn-to-swim classes at Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre in North Island town of Pukekohe.

Thrilled to be bringing inclusive swimming experiences to the Pukekohe community, Belgravia Leisure’s General Manager (New Zealand) Mark Blake explained “swimming and water play are such a big part of our lives here in New Zealand. Our goal is to help participants feel more confident in and around the water, which will improve their physical and mental wellbeing.”

Swimming New Zealand’s Head of Education and Water Safety, Davin Bray added “through the work that SwimmingNZ does, we see parts of the country that need to address local barriers to participation and provide sufficient opportunities for people with disabilities to access learn to swim opportunities.

“We are grateful for the Tu Manawa funding and look forward to working with Belgravia Leisure to support this programme for the Franklin community.”

All swimming instructors at Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre are fully qualified and have been trained to work with participants to develop a training approach to support a diverse range of client needs.

Under the ‘All In’ inclusive swimming program, a total of 10 weeks of subsidised group or private lessons are available for people who have limited or no current swimming ability.

The program has been made possible through the support of Sport NZ’s Tu Manawa Active Aotearoa fund. The fund covers over 80% of the cost of the course, significantly reducing participant fee to $60 for 10 weeks, and lower for group lessons.

In cases of genuine hardship, Belgravia Leisure is able to provide further subsidy support up to 100%.