Who we are:

Established in 1964, Leander Amateur Swimming Club (ASC) is a registered charity, volunteer led, with a long successful history of competing at the highest level of our sport taking swimmers to the Olympics, World, European and Commonwealth Games.  

What we do:

We are based in Belfast and offer swimming sessions in 4 centres across the City at all levels from 'Learn to Swim' to Post -Primary Recreational to Masters to High Performance.  We are very fortunate to have a strong committed team of Swimming Teachers and Coaches who have experience coaching at an international level and a dedicated committee to lead the charity.

Impact of Covid

Covid had a major impact on our sport in particular on the mental and physical health of our members / volunteers and in addition to this on our club finances whereby we suspended fees during the pandemic and then had to rely on reserves to cover costs when numbers per lane were restricted (due to social distancing) on return to the pool to prevent fee increases for our members at an already challenging time. 

Our Project:

The ‘One Team’ Project will focus on the rebuilding and future development of our club, Leander Amateur Swimming Club in Northern Ireland.

Your support for this project will help us to deliver the following Club initiatives:

• The development of coaches and swim teachers - by providing financial support for them to do accredited training to aid CPD and succession planning and to equip the club to offer new, additional opportunities to new target groups in our sport
• To develop volunteers through a structured programme which encourages engagement of as many as possible, for as long as possible, in the best environment possible 
• The delivery of a participation project targeted at post-primary aged children  (11-18years old) who are at an entry level who have been most impacted by the pandemic as they have missed out on learning to swim at a primary school age and are now in a situation whereby an existing club session is not available / appropriate for them i.e. they are too old for our traditional 'Learn to Swim' provision and they are not at the level whereby they can compete with other post-primary aged members.

This project will focus on a 10-week skills-based programme which will take place in the GLL facility in Whiterock.  It will be promoted to those on our waiting list and, subject to capacity, to post-primary-aged children in surrounding schools.  The objective of the programme is to engage this new group and provide them with the opportunity to develop skills that will allow them to progress through a Swim Ireland mapped programme and then transition into other sections within the club as appropriate to their level.  This project will aim to retain teenagers in sport which is traditionally the age at which many cease to participate.  As a club, we have never offered targeted provision in this area. To offer this programme, we need to increase the number of qualified coaches / teachers to build our capacity therefore ensuring the club has the infrastructure in place e.g. qualified coaches / teachers to operationally run this project on a longer-term basis and comply with the standards set by our governing body.

• To develop our competitive pathway from Learn to Swim to performance through the delivery of technical skills clinics, training camps and the purchase of training aids

Leander ASC is a club for all and has a long rich history of success.  
As a Charity, all income generated through fees is reinvested back into the operation and development of the club.  It is used to pay for pool hire, equipment, coach development through the club paying for qualifications / training, to offer family discounts, to subsidise member affiliation fees, subsidise transport to galas and to provide activities aimed at keeping sport fun!

In 2023 /24 season we will celebrate the 60th anniversary of our club and we want to take this opportunity to recognise the contribution of all our members past and present as we build on the club's success to date and strive to develop the future generation of Leander swimmers!

Thank you in advance for your support!