Andy Noble, Centre Manager at Cascades Leisure Pool, has been working closely with STA over the last few months in setting up the new STA Cascades Swim Academy in Tewskesbury. This followed the announcement that a new partnership had been agreed between Cascades Swim School, Tewkesbury Borough Council and STA.

The Academy was successfully launched in January 2013, and Andy wrote to STA and said:

“We are extremely pleased with STA and all the staff involved in setting up the new swim academy.

In May 2012 we made enquiries with both STA and the ASA with regard to training teaching staff with a long term plan or agreement to ensure we maintain a high level of teaching within the facility, now and into the future.

All the staff within STA were very helpful. We have built a particularly good relationship with Irene Joyce, and I have a great deal of trust in the way she works with, and develops our staff. She and STA have a full understanding of the local needs and business requirements of our facility.

Within the teaching and training she has increased the confidence of the staff and has developed what we considered to be a ‘good team’, into a ‘professional working unit’.

With regard to the Swim Academy, Tewkesbury Borough Council had been reluctant to take on a national scheme at first due to the possible cost, but the STA Swim Academy model has proved cost effective, is easy to follow and answers a number of issues that were being experienced by our in-house award scheme.

Zoe Cooper has been extremely enthusiastic about STA’s learn to swim scheme, which in turn has encouraged all our staff to embrace the programme.

The ultimate aim is to increase participation and produce future Olympians, and whilst this project is in the early stages, I am confident that with the professional team at STA this scheme will be successful.”

(Published with Andy Noble’s consent)