With another heatwave coming this week, we thought now’s the perfect time to post something about swimming in Manchester. 😉

Swimming is an essential life skill that provides numerous benefits, including physical fitness, water safety, and social interaction. For children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND), learning to swim can be an especially empowering and enjoyable experience. To help families support their children with swimming (or accessing the pool, at the very least), Manchester City Council’s Local Offer team worked with us and other parent groups such as the Parent Champions and SPACE, as well as with McrActive, to develop the “See You in the Pool” video sharing some top tips and practical advice that families can use to make the most of swimming sessions. From introducing your child to the swimming environment to simple, fun exercises to build water confidence, this short video can hopefully help your child on their journey towards learning to swim.

As part of the SEND Community Offer, there are free family-friendly inclusive weekly swim sessions that families of deaf, disabled and neurodivergent children and young people in Manchester can access:

Finally, did you know that Manchester residents aged 16 and under (as well as those who are over 60) can swim for FREE at any “Swim for All” session during school holidays (and at selected times at the weekends during term-time)? You will need a Junior MCRactive Pay-As-You-Go membership (or Senior MCRactive Pay-As-You-Go membership if you are over 60) card, which is free for city of Manchester residents, and you can apply for it here. You’ll also find a list of timetables and booking/registration info on the Better website.