28 Jul 2025

Dear WCSC Members

I would like to firstly congratulate Iola Bellinger from Age Group Performance on her fantastic swim at the British Championships. Winning a bronze medal in the 100m Breastroke and placing 5th in the 50m Breastroke final is absolutely superb. Well done Iola and also to the Age Group Performance Coach Chris. Chris has coached Iola since she was 9 years of age! An inspirational performance and one the club are incredibly proud of.

In our July newsletter we stated that we reviewing all of the feedback provided in the recent club survey, and we've done just that. Again, I want to thank all those members that shared their thoughts, it continues to help us improve and strengthen as a Club. To ensure insights derived from the feedback are actionable, we've broken down our engagement plan into 4 core categories, which are:

• Communication
• Coaching
• Squad Progression, and;
• Quality

We're already taking steps in improve communication across the Club - starting with the refreshed newsletter format. A big thank you to our Comms working group for leading & delivering that work. We're also reviewing squad progression, and some squad moves will be happening shortly. We understand how important it is to give families plenty of notice, so any changes will be communicated in good time to help with planning and preparation. We will share more detail of how we intend to address some of the key headlines as we progress into the new season.

As we approach the end of another season we can reflect back with a lot of pride, despite some challenges with pool closures affecting both our lessons and squad divisions, everyone associated with the club has pulled together to navigate through to ensure all our swimmers continue to enjoy and progress in their respective swimming journeys.

And finally, a message to our swimmers—the heart of everything we do. Your hard work and dedication this season has been truly inspiring. From younger swimmers progressing through our lessons programme to those achieving national qualification, every milestone matters and every success is worth celebrating.

I’m often reminded of the Commando Spirit of the Royal Marines—Courage, Determination, Unselfishness, and Cheerfulness in the face of adversity. These values are alive in our swim family. If you were at the recent Summer Scorcher meet, you’ll have seen them on full display—from our swimmers, coaches, and volunteers alike.

If we try in our own small way to instill these qualities across the Club, we’re not just moving in the right direction—we’re building something truly special, and we will win!

 

I wish you all a restful and enjoyable summer break.

 

All the best, David.

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