ANGUSalive Annual Report 2022/23 Case Study: Sport & Leisure
ANGUSalive’s Annual Report 2022/23 features Seven year old Harry Findlater, from Montrose who has made a huge splash by using swimming to recover from his treatment from life-changing surgery.
He’s been attending our Learn to Swim lessons at the Montrose pool since he was five – and has thrived in the water where they have helped him bounce back from life-changing surgery.
The Learn to Swim framework is a partnership between Scottish Swimming and Scottish Water with the goal of creating ‘Generation Swim’, the next generation of safe and competent swimmers.
Harry’s story was also covered on STV News.
Harry’s mum, Lizzie said: “Harry’s journey has not been easy but it’s incredible to see where he is at now. Swimming has improved his confidence massively by being able to do what everyone else can, not to mention acting as vital rehab for Harry.
“Learning to swim provides that sense of inclusivity and provides children with great safety skills for the future so we’re very grateful to all of Harry’s teachers who have invested so much time into his development. Hopefully, Harry’s story can inspire others in similar situations to get in the pool.”
The Learn to Swim programme is open to everyone regardless of disability or skills levels, with the partnership committed to creating a supportive environment for all.
ANGUSalive’s Heather McCallum – his swim teacher – has been Harry’s swim teach since he started Learn to Swim lessons two years ago. She said: “Harry’s progress has been truly impressive. You can see his newfound confidence as he can now swim across the studio pool unaided in front crawl and backstroke.
“Our next focus is on refining his technique and generally building his confidence in the water. He’s thriving both in and out the pool and it’s been really inspiring as a teacher to watch his progress.”
Learn to Swim has already provided lessons to more than 100,000 children and aims to reach another 100,000 by 2025, helping more young people across Scotland stay safe in the water.
Euan Lowe, CEO of Scottish Swimming said: “Learning to swim should be accessible to everyone and anyone. The Learn to Swim programme provides the setting to allow children with disabilities to learn the skill with their peers.
We are thrilled with our team for the role they have played in Harry’s development and of course, immensely proud to have played a role in Harry’s development!