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Beyond the water

Continuing our series to mark Black History Month, the co-director of Swimunity explains how her is organisation is striving to make swimming more inclusive – and building a special community both in and out of the pool.

23rd October 2025

by Omie Dale
Co-director, Swimunity

‘Making the joy of swimming accessible to all’ is the slogan of Swimunity, a Community Interest Company based in West London that I have the privilege of co-directing since 2017.

Swimunity was founded in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, with the aim of providing a space for healing and resilience-building among local residents through their relationship with water, in the form of free swimming lessons, beach days and residential trips.

Several years on, we’ve had hundreds of local young people and women learning how to swim with us, with some of them even becoming swimming teachers themselves!

Many have also joined us for expeditions to the seaside and for residential trips around the UK (Cornwall, Dorset and Wales) to leave the busy streets of London behind in favour of new environments and experiences. 

A group of people wearing helmets and buoyancy vests scull in a circle in some shallow sea water, surrounded by rocks.

Swimming has always been a deeply important part of my life and that of my co-director and founder of Swimunity, Sarraounia.

Growing up, however, we were acutely aware that very few people in swimming – whether participating or teaching – looked like us.

Sadly, this isn’t purely anecdotal.

The Value of Swimming report by Swim England found that 74% of children leave primary school unable to swim 25 metres unaided, with the figures even lower among Black (51%) and Asian (55%) pupils. 

Considering that swimming is an essential life skill, these statistics are alarming.

Socio-economic status also plays a major role on this data, with Sport England’s Active Lives report for 2022/23 revealing that only 47% of children and young people going to school in the most deprived areas of the country are able to swim 25 metres, compared to 69% in the least deprived areas.

There are a number of reasons behind these disparities: the ever-increasing cost of swimming lessons, the limited access to facilities, the fact that many children and young people come from a family of non-swimmers, plus cultural factors such as concerns about hair and skin care, including the persistent myth that Black people “sink” or have “heavy bones.”

Making aquatics more inclusive

Swimunity was born as a result of the belief that everyone deserves the chance to learn to swim, and that the pool should be more reflective of the community around us.  

Through our work, we strive to bridge the gaps between the non-swimming community and the sport – not only by providing free, high-quality and inclusive lessons and education about water safety and competency – but through representation too, by being teachers of colour on poolside ourselves. 

Swimunity has been fortunate to receive support from a range of funders, including Sport England, which has allowed us to sustain and expand our year-round programmes.

We’re also lucky enough to see incredible progress in our efforts, with children arriving to our lessons as complete beginners and leaving us as confident swimmers, competent across all four strokes. Some even go further in their swimming journey and join competitive clubs! 

Swimunity was born as a result of the belief that everyone deserves the chance to learn to swim, and that the pool should be more reflective of the community around us.

But for so many of our young people, the importance of swimming lessons goes beyond learning to how to swim. 

For them it’s a chance to develop a skill outside of school, an opportunity to make new friends and the possibility of challenging themselves in new environments. 

Every year we also take a group of young people on a residential trip in the summer holidays and this year we went to Wales. It was so much fun! 

For many of our members, who live in inner-city London, these experiences offer a rare chance to play freely, connect with nature and try water-based activities such as kayaking, surfing and coasteering.

Three young people wearing helmets and buoyancy aids enjoy swimming in the sea.

Over time, we’ve built a truly special community – not only of swimmers, but of parents who now feel empowered and informed about their children’s learn-to-swim journeys.

We also work with them to help them understand the process better so they can best support their kids. 

Many parents and carers have mentioned how rewarding it is to see their children develop skills and confidence through weekly sessions. 

Through our lessons and trips, families get to connect with their local community too, meeting and getting to know others in the area, and many of our mothers have even joined our women’s-only sessions, discovering the joy of swimming for themselves. 

And whilst we are only a small drop in an ocean of meeting the unmet demand for lessons, we can see what a difference it makes and that helps us to keep going in our efforts so people in the Black community can enjoy the many benefits of swimming, both inside pool and beyond the water.

Find out more

Swimunity

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