Swindon’s Just for Fun Holiday Club is opening a new venue at Dorcan Leisure Centre this Christmas, and for the first time the team will be offering swimming sessions as part of the day.
The club already runs at five sites across Swindon, and Dorcan becomes the sixth. The venue includes a large sports hall, an all-weather pitch, daily bouncy castles and full access to the pool, which co-founder Sean Harper is most excited about.
Sean said he has wanted to add swimming for a long time because many families simply cannot afford lessons. When Dorcan became available, the timing felt right.
“Swimming is a life skill,” Sean said. “So many children never get the chance to learn. If we can build this in for a fraction of the price, we’re taking pressure off parents who want theirc hildren to feel safe in the water.”
The club will offer a mix of water play and simple structured sessions. Dorcan’s lifeguards will supervise and instructors can be brought in when needed. Groups of around 18 children will take part, with space for up to 25 in the water, and a member of the Just for Fun team will also be in the pool to support anyone who needs it.
Figures from Sport England show 1 in 4 children leave primary school unable to swim, and activity levels remain below pre-pandemic levels. Forty per cent of children who cannot swim have never been offered lessons in school. Sean said these numbers underline why the new sessions matter.
His own childhood lessons, provided for by his grandparents, gave him confidence in the water.
“You take things like that for granted when you’re small,” he said. He has also watched his daughter grow braver after private lessons.
“Before, she wouldn’t let go of me in the pool. After a few weeks she was going down slides on her own on a family holiday. That confidence is what we want children to feel.”
The club has already seen how adding something new can boost interest. The cycling sessions at Moredon Sporting Hub this summer brought in a wave of children learning to ride for the first time. Sean believes swimming at Dorcan will have the same effect.
Just for Fun’s Christmas HAF programme is now open with limited availability. Dorcan, Moredon Sporting Hub and Holy Cross will run on Monday and Tuesday 22 and 23 December from 8am, and Goddard Park will run on Monday and Tuesday 29 and 30 December from 10am to 2pm. Private bookings are also open and many places have already been taken. Children can expect Christmas Jumper Day, a visit from Santa,games, competitions and a Christmas dinner on the Monday.
The new Dorcan venue will continue into 2026 with swimming remaining part of the programme. For more information visit http://www.justforfunholidayclub.co.uk
Article from Scott Media
