Swimtime makes a splash with 100 jobs

MORE than 100 jobs have been created with the appointment of Swimtime – the UK’s largest swimming lesson franchise business – to provide swimming lessons in Sports Direct-owned fitness clubs.

Following the successful launch of the sportswear giant’s budget gym chain in 2014, Swimtime, based near Manchester Airport, will start to provide swimming lessons for its fitness clubs this month.

With 25 of Sports Direct’s 28 fitness clubs operating a swimming pool, Swimtime will initially deliver more than 1,200 lessons per week under the contract, including group lessons, one-to-ones and ‘Swimbabies’.

Mel Crossland, head of sales and marketing at Sports Direct, said: “Swimtime has a proven track record, and is a trusted brand with the highest standards of compliance and swimming lesson management, so we’re confident that they will deliver exceptional lessons to children and adults alike.

“The health and well-being of our members is of the utmost importance and as Swimtime is such an established brand – which already operates across the whole of the UK – we can be sure that they have the skills and infrastructure to provide an excellent service across all our existing and future centres.”

The contract is expected to create more than 100 jobs for swimming teachers and an additional 3,500 children’s swimming lessons, across the UK, in the first year.  

“Learning to swim is such an important life skill, so we’re keen to help bring affordable and accessible swimming lessons to all – and make them as fun and enjoyable as they can be. We currently provide more than 17,000 lessons a week across the UK, and are excited at the prospect of increasing this number with the addition of lessons in Sport Direct’s fitness clubs,” added Swimtime director, Barry Price.

He continued: “We’re particularly looking forward to expanding our offering of adult swimming lessons, which have become increasingly popular in recent years.”