Learn to Swim Outcome: 85% of children achieving KS2 (primary school) attainment target Annual Report and Accounts 2011-2012 Contents Chairman’s Report 3 Chief Executive’s Report 4 Learn to Swim 7 Health and Participation 13 Athlete Development 19 Facilities 33 Workforce Development 37 Governance, Structures and Partnerships 41 Key Performance Indicators 46 Report and Financial Statements 51 Acknowledgements 62 OVER swims have been taken 200as a result of the British Cover photography: istockphoto.com THOUSAND Gas Free Family Swim All internal photography: SWpix.com except where indicated promotion 2 The ASA Annual Report and Accounts 2011 - 2012 Chairman Forewords We fully recognise the Sport England requirement for the ASA to meet its contractual targets and will continue to work with them closely to ensure that the Association is doing everything it possibly can to provide leadership across the swimming ‘industry’ John Crowther Chairman While the Chief Executive’s report will comment across the swimming ‘industry’. From my contact support throughout the year. My thanks also go on our efforts to increase the number of people with operators, they view the ASA as a well- to the many volunteers who turn out every week swimming regularly, I must put on record the managed governing body and are right behind our and, through their efforts, underpin much of what Board’s disappointment that the last Active People current efforts. happens in our sport across the country. Survey fi gures registered a further decline after While Sport England recognise our governance Obviously, the period under consideration all the efforts of many involved in the sport. processes and outcomes as satisfactory, the ASA in this report ended on March 31 but I should However, and in spite of this, I can assure all our Board is continuing to look at ways that it can still mention the London Olympic Games and partners and stakeholders that the ASA Board has improve its own performance and hopes to submit Paralympic Games which will take place just after focused on the relevant issues and endorsed a to the AGM in October proposals to take us the this report is distributed. The ASA is proud to revised approach under the headline of ‘Getting next step. This will require a considerable amount contribute to the efforts of British Swimming and People Swimming’ (GPS) with an injection of new of work from the Corporate Governance Strategic we wish them and all their athletes the very best management talent into the organisation. Delivery Group, which will include extensive of fortune for what will be a momentous occasion. We fully recognise the Sport England consultation. I have been encouraged by the open requirement for the ASA to meet its contractual and enthusiastic way in which Board colleagues targets and will continue to work with them have been prepared to look ‘at the future’ which closely to ensure that the Association is doing bodes well for our sport. My thanks go to Board everything it possibly can to provide leadership colleagues and to the staff for their hard work and The ASA Annual Report and Accounts 2011 - 2012 3 Chief Executive The Association has continued to work hard on its twin work strands of growing participation and building a world class talent pathway, and whilst we have struggled to build numbers in the Active People Survey, our talent programmes have shown that they can deliver great young athletes for the future David Sparkes OBE Chief Executive This has been one of the busiest years for the ASA gloomy news as many of our pool operators have relevant and sustainable, and continue to meet the governance structure that has served us well still since I took over the reins in 1994. Fast upcoming seen attendances and income rising and margins challenges of their communities and contribute to needs to develop to ensure that we have access is the culmination of our long preparation to increasing. This suggests that regular swimmers the increasing ‘participation’ agenda. to a broader range of skills to guide our sport into host the world’s best athletes in the new London are not only augmenting their visits to the pool To underpin all this, we need to continue to the future. Aquatics Centre - a magnifi cent pool which I am but also taking advantage of new products. The invest heavily in people to ensure that swimming sure will inspire some magnifi cent performances challenge now is to reach into the community and teachers, coaches and administrators across all and one in which we hope some great English get more people swimming regularly. our disciplines have the skills they need and are athletes will rise up to achieve Olympic and We have also done some early work on the best they can be. For this reason, we are Paralympic medals. enhancing the support for our club network with again reviewing our qualifi cations to ensure they The Association has continued to work hard advice that details the relevance of the clubs meet the needs of employers and clubs, and on its twin work strands of growing participation and voluntary sector in pools - set against the will be compiling a new and vibrant strategy for and building a world class talent pathway, and backdrop of the Big Society ambitions of the volunteers. whilst we have struggled to build numbers in the Government. We have also looked at new and As ever, though, the ASA is looking forward Active People Survey, our talent programmes have interesting models of clubs that are emerging and working to build our sustainable income shown that they can deliver great young athletes more tailored to the 21st century. There is no streams in order to maintain swimming as a major for the future. The building of participation has doubt that clubs will need to evolve and develop sport in England. Having said that, in this complex been really challenging. However, it is not all new business models to ensure they remain and turbulent world, we are aware that our 4 The ASA Annual Report and Accounts 2011 - 2012 Learn to Swim Learn to Swim Outcome: 85% of children achieving KS2 (primary school) attainment target % 54OF SCHOOLS NOW HAVE ASA CLUB LINKS The ASA Annual Report and Accounts 2011 - 2012 5 Learn to Swim 15NEW POOLS HAVE 0 CONVERTED TO THE NPTS 2007 INCLUDING SERCO AND LA FITNESS Photo: Shutterstock.com 6 The ASA Annual Report and Accounts 2011 - 2012 Learn to Swim The ASA The ASA National Learn to Swim StagePlan Award AwardStage1 1 Commercially, the ASA’s Learn to Swim The ASA Programme continues to be the most National StagePlan Award Award successful of its kind in British sport The ASA Stage7 1 The ASA National StagePlan Award AwardStage2 1 The last 12 months has seen a number of The ASA Aquatic Skills Framework for stages 8, Commercially, the ASA’s Learn to Swim signifi cant changes to the ASA’s Learn to Swim 9 and 10; and a new Adult Framework. This new Programme continues to be the most successfulful Programme. After the successful launch of the Pathway and the four frameworks will be launched programme of its kind in British sport. Over 2,500,500 National Plan for Teaching Swimming in 2007 in summer 2012 and supporting CPDs (Continuing learn to swim providers including the country’s’s (NPTS), it was recognised that the ASA needed to Professional Development) have been written for 10 largest public and private pool operators workwork provide more guidance and a seamless pathway teachers and learn to swim co-ordinators to help closely in partnership with the ASA to use ourr for learn to swim from baby swimming through to implement the new sections. Learn to Swim Programme as the basis for theireir adult swimming. All centres using the NPTS 2007 will be lesson plans. In the last year alone, 150 new poolspools encouraged over the next 12 months to adopt have converted to the NPTS 2007 including Sercoerco the Foundation and Adult sections of ASA Learn and LA Fitness and almost two million awardss to Swim Pathway to ensure a seamless transition have been given through our Learn to swim is promoted to centres and parents. The ASA Programme. This additional activity has resulteded Learn to Swim Pathway has the added benefi t in a 10 per cent year on year increase in turnoverover of not only supporting learn to swim across a from award sales, and we hope for similar To establish this clear pathway, The British Gas spectrum of ages but also helping to address increases during 2012. ASA Learn to Swim Pathway is being developed some of our organisation’s more strategic targets to incorporate four distinct but inter-linking ASA around participation. This seamless pathway is a The swimmer’s journeyney Learn to Swim Frameworks. There will be: The signifi cant step forward for our strategy and our The swimmer’s journey linksnks ASA Learn to Swim Framework incorporating centres and we look forward to working with the NPTS to the Kellogg’s the current NPTS stages 1-7; a new Foundation partners and swimming co-ordinators alike over ASA Awards structure Framework for baby swimming and pre-school the coming months to ensure pools can reap the and demonstrates how learn to swim to underpin the existing stages; benefi ts of the new frameworks. complementary awards canan The ASA Annual Report and Accounts 2011 - 2012 7 Learn to Swim Feedback from Module 1 courses Liam Hibbitts receives his ‘top teacher’ award from GB women’s water polo captain Fran Leighton ‘A fantastic and interesting course, “ so many fabulous ideas.Teaching the group was daunting but great fun and I learnt so much in a short space of time.