Halifax Swimming Club

Membership
Written by Mary McClung   

See also How to Join

Halifax Swimming Club is an independent club and has been in existence since 1864. It is run by a committee which meets 6 times per year. The Annual General Meeting is held in November. The first people you will probably meet are Christine and Mary. They sit in the reception area every Thursday, selling swimming gear at greatly reduced prices and sweets to help with fundraising. They also

collect fees when they are due and will try to answer any of your queries.
All the swimming teachers, coaches and standback observers are volunteers. The Head coach is Gareth Griffiths; Sophie Rowe and Julie Beaumont are the Assistant coaches. They are paid for some of the work they do for the club. All the other swimming teachers, coaches and standback observers are volunteers. Everyone who helps in Swimming Club must have a CRB check.
The Welfare Officer is Elizabeth Fielden. She ensures that we adhere to all child welfare safeguards. All members need to complete a medical form and return it to her as soon as possible.
The main club night is Thursday. We are open 48 weeks each year, closing for two weeks over the Christmas period and two weeks in August. As your child makes progress, further training opportunities will be offered.
As you will notice we are very busy on Thursdays. Everybody needs to take care of their own belongings. Please do not leave any clothes in the changing rooms: use the lockers (50p). If you lose anything please let someone know. If you find anything please hand to Christine or Mary. They pass on all found property to the duty manager at the pool. Parents are responsible for the behaviour of
their own children in the building, especially in the changing rooms. Please read the club’s codes of conduct.
Please do not let your child go on to the spectator balcony once they have been in the changing rooms or in the water. Wet feet can make the floor very slippery.
Club galas are held every 8 weeks and all children are expected to join in at the appropriate level. See the attached sheet for further information and talk to your child’s teacher or coach about this. There are no swimming lessons on those nights. When children enter galas, they need to be at the pool for 7.00 p.m. and must report to the competitors’ stewards in reception before getting changed.
They must report to the competitors’ stewards on the poolside once they are changed. They need to bring two towels and a T shirt to wear between races. Parents are encouraged to watch. There is some good competition. We also take these opportunities to raise extra funds by holding raffles.
Donations of prizes are most welcome.
As the children become more involved with swimming there will be opportunities to compete against swimmers from other clubs at local level, later on at county level and district level and for some at national level. Please ask about procedures for entering these galas.
When your child becomes a member of the club you will be given a payment card. Fees are collected, in advance, on the 1st Thursday of each month. Keep your payment card in a safe place. It is your receipt. Any swimmer who has not paid the fees by the due date may be removed from the register and put back on the waiting list to await allocation of a place. See here for current fees
Your payment covers club membership, Category 1 and Category 3 membership fees for The Amateur Swimming Association, insurance, pool hire fees, internal gala entry fees, salary for the Head and Assistant Coaches and continuous training for the coaching and teaching staff. ASA category 2 fees are payable by you when your children enter outside galas.
If your child wants to stop training, please let us know so that the place can be filled by someone from the waiting list.
We rely on volunteers to help with the efficient running of the club. You will be asked to sit in one of the observation chairs during the training session. This is a vital role. Children may not swim unless there are stand-back observers in all the relevant chairs to watch for any problems. Regular training sessions are available. The teachers will have life saving qualifications and will step in to deal with
any situations that may arise. That extra pair of eyes could save a life.
The club has two notice boards; one at the entrance to the spectator area stairway and one by the disabled changing rooms.
If you have any concerns please talk to your child’s teacher or to Christine and Mary.
 

Menu

News Headlines