We recently featured on the BBC Wales News highlighting the lack of inclusive swimming lessons, you can watch this here.

Our recent swim evaluation found that 81% of parents struggle getting suitable lessons at a local pool for their young people. This is often due to a lack of accessible facilities, appropriately trained instructors, and unsuitable environments.

Because of this, many children and young people with complex needs are sadly excluded from both school and community swimming lessons.

This is an area in which the system is failing campaigners say, in offering swimming lessons to children. 

To address this ongoing issue, two Sparkle parents appeared on BBC Wales News this month, sharing he challenges their children face and emphasised the urgent need for inclusive swimming lessons. 

Hannah is one of the parents who spoke to the BBC about her experience. Prior to accessing Sparkle swimming lessons, her son Jamie who is non-verbal and has high care and support needs, was "made to feel unwelcome" at local swimming pools. 

Learning to swim at Serennu Children's Centre is now the highlight of Jamie's week.

Similarly, Ross, dad to 10-year-old Gethin who has autism non-verbal sensory processing disorder, explains how Sparkle's swimming lessons directly supported his son. 

"We've gone from Gethin not even putting his face in the water to Gethin now being willing to jump into the deep end of the pool, with support, something we wouldn't even have dreamt of", he said. 

Specialist disability swimming lessons are one of the most frequently requested services within Sparkle.

Drowning is one of the leading causes of child trauma-related death; in 2022 there was a 46% increase in the number of child drownings in the UK.

Swimming is a potentially life-saving skill, and one which opens up a variety of fitness and leisure opportunities. Although it is stated by the Department of Education in Wales that swimming and water safety are compulsory parts of the national curriculum in primary school, it is evident that this is not a reality for many children who have additional needs due to physical, developmental or neuro-disability.

Our specialist swimming lessons cost £53,000/year for 84 children, and unfortunately, Sparkle receives no government support for this. 

Recently, in a meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mark Isherwood MS (who chairs the cross party Senedd group on disabilities), raised the issue of lack of accessible swimming lessons and how disabled children are missing out because of the barriers they face.

A Disability Rights Taskforce has been looking at a whole range of issues relating to the lives of people with disabilities in Wales. 

These include access to services, independent living, social care, health, travel, employment, and housing, as well as the rights of children.

Its report will form the basis of a Disability Rights Action Plan which will be published by ministers in the next few weeks. 

But MS Mark Isherwood said he was not convinced the plan would lead to real and lasting change. 

"The problem as always is how will this be monitored?" he said. 

"How will it be evaluated?"

"Will the Welsh Government intervene when it's misunderstood or not implemented, as happens with so much else affecting, as in this context, disabled children."

"There's got to be teeth to this." 

If you wanted to watch the BBC feature please click here.

To take a look at Sparkle's recent Swim Evaluation please click here.