MORE than 2,500 youngsters in East Renfrewshire have benefited from a successful swimming programme.

Children from across the region signed up to Learn to Swim – a partnership between Scottish Swimming, Scottish Water and local swimming pools.

Lessons have been run by East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure at four pools, which has allowed 2,508 young swimmers to come through the programme in the last three years.

Karen Baxter, swimming development officer at East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure, told the Barrhead News: “We were delighted to join the National Framework for Learn to Swim this year and be part of the national programme.

“The number of swimmers has increased since the inception of the programme to 2,600 children and this is due to the implementation of the new syllabus.

“The hope is that more children will learn to swim thanks to the new Scottish Swimming programme, which not only develops their swimming ability but also enhances their confidence, social skills and communication.

“The Learn to Swim Framework is aimed at youngsters from birth to 11 years and provides consistently high-quality teaching at least once a week and which progresses through a series of lessons and levels over a number of years.”

A key focus has been the drive to encourage more children with disabilities into mainstream swimming lessons.

For more details, visit www.learntoswim.scot.