May 2006

West Suffolk Swimming Club is proud and delighted to be able to announce that it has been awarded Swim 21 Accreditation at the highest and most stringent level of Performance Club (only the second club in the East Region to achieve this level). It is testimony to the coaching staff, swimmers, club management and helpers that the National Panel has recognised the hard work, systems and procedures that are already in place within our swim development programme, which has made West Suffolk the success it currently is. Swim 21 also recognises the potential that is evident in the club action plan, which our coaches are now concentrating on, moving us through this transitional phase to even bigger and better goals with the aim to provide the best experience possible for all of our swimmers.

Swim 21: What is it?
Swim 21 Accreditation is a 'Quality mark'. It recognises nationally and regionally the clubs that are committed to providing safe, effective and quality services for the benefit of their members.
Swim 21 is the ASA's Club Development model - a planning tool, based on the principles of Long Term Athlete Development, enabling clubs to help athletes, teachers, coaches and administrators to achieve their full potential. It focuses particularly on the needs of athletes - striving to provide them with the best possible support and environment.

Clubmark
Clubmark is a Sport England accreditation scheme, which will eventually be accessible to all sports and seeks to ensure that young people are participating within a safe and friendly environment. Swim 21 is recognised by Sport England as a Clubmark accredited scheme and therefore clubs gaining Swim 21 Accreditation automatically receive Clubmark status.

Becoming a Swim 21 Club
Swim 21 was a 3-stage process:
1.WSSC audited it’s position against a series of questions that are linked to nationally determined outcomes of good practice;
2.Based on these findings WSSC produced an Improvement Plan that detailed the steps needed to address the gaps in our provision and put into action procedures to fill the gaps;
3.WSSC then applied to become an ASA Swim 21 Accredited Club by providing a portfolio of evidence of the systems and procedures used by the club for assessment by the Regional Development Officer (RDO) and National Panel.

Benefits/outcomes of Swim 21
The benefits of becoming a Swim 21 Accredited Club are mainly seen through the process itself. The programme enhances club management, strengthens the structures and unites the club with a philosophy and programmes that ensures the best environment is available for our swimmer

Some key outcomes and benefits are listed below:

Swimmer Achievement
Swim 21 enables clubs to help swimmers achieve their full potential. Swim 21 is a planning tool based upon the needs of swimmers and strives to provide them with the best possible environment.

Recognition
National recognition received through the achievement of Swim 21 accreditation proves that the club is providing a quality service for all our members. As such all Swim 21 accredited clubs are listed on the British Swimming website www.britishswimming.org and in ASA publications.
Recognition by Sport England that our club is safe, effective and child friendly through achievement of Sport England Clubmark.

Funding
There is enhanced access to various sources of funding. Clubs who have achieved Swim 21 Accreditation may be looked upon more favourably when applying for sources of funding. For example, Swim 21 Accredited Clubs are prioritised in forming links with local schools. PESSCL (Physical Education, School Sport Club Links) funding is available to support school-club link projects. In addition Swim 21 can be used as a negotiation tool with Local Authorities, in terms of seeking additional water time or a reduction in it's cost, as a club with Swim 21 may help them to achieve their objectives in terms of quality service provision.

Other benefits that Swim 21 may provide for our club include:
•Publicity / promotion / recognition & profile
•More members 
•More coaches 
•More officials / volunteers
•Increased opportunity to secure funding
•A more organised & resourced club
•School / club links
•Greater support from ASA & other networks
•Club sustainability / longevity / development
•Swimmer achievement / development
•A successful method of spreading a club's workload