More than 20 schools and 250 swimmers join us for our Primary Schools Gala

12 Jun 2025

We were delighted to host our 23rd Annual Primary Schools Gala on Friday 6 June at Winchester Sport & Leisure Park, welcoming over 250 excited young swimmers from more than 20 local primary schools across the Winchester area.

Celebrating community, sport, and team spirit

Our Primary Schools Gala is a key event in our community programme and has become a much-loved part of Winchester’s sporting calendar since it first began in 2000. This year, we were thrilled to see so many children taking part, many experiencing competitive swimming for the first time, all showing amazing team spirit and determination.

A visit from the Mayor of Winchester

We were honoured to welcome the Mayor of Winchester, Councillor Sudhakar Achwal, who joined us for the morning’s celebrations. The Mayor kindly helped present medals and trophies, and offered warm words of encouragement to our young swimmers, adding a special civic presence to the event.

A memorable morning for all

Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, every child received a goody bag, a commemorative T-shirt, and a certificate to remember their day. The poolside buzzed with energy as parents, teachers, and volunteers cheered from the stands. The highlight of the morning was a well-earned lunch and, of course, a slice of gala cake to round off the celebrations.

Thanks to the volunteers and community support

We couldn’t do this without our amazing team of over 50 volunteers, who helped the event run smoothly from start to finish. Huge thanks to our principal sponsors: Winchester Round Table, Everyone Active, Christ’s Hospital Foundation, ClearPath Partnership, and King’s School, along with many other generous local businesses and advertisers who provided funding for T-shirts, medals, trophies, and more.

Looking ahead

This year’s gala was another wonderful reminder of how sport can bring our community together. We’re already looking forward to welcoming even more schools next year. If you’d like to get involved - whether through sponsorship, volunteering, or simply spreading the word - we’d love to hear from you.

To find out more about our Community Programme or to get in touch, please contact us.

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