Minister for Sport Gerry Sutcliffe said: "Good coaches are at the heart of our ambition to become a world class sporting nation by 2012. They are vital to talent development and can help increase participation in every sport, not least swimming. Top British swimmers Rebecca Adlington and Paralympian Dervis Konuralp may not have made it to Beijing without the support of their dedicated coaches. I applaud the ASA and Kellogg's for their work in encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to take the plunge."
Bruce Learner, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Kellogg's, said: "The Kellogg's Swim Active programme aims to break down the barriers that prevent people participating in swimming. We're hoping to train around 200 people UK wide as part of this programme which should go some way to ensure that more young people and their families have the opportunity to enjoy swimming as part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle."
Melissa Barlow, the Workforce Development Manager at the ASA, said: "The training and education for teachers and coaches is so important so they have the knowledge and skills to provide a positive experience of the sport that in turn will encourage more people to swim regularly. I hope that pool operators and club volunteers take full advantage of this great opportunity which means that we are effectively able to offer them some of our most popular courses and seminars at half price."
The funding is linked to the hugely popular back of pack Free Swim promotion run by Kellogg's, which to date has seen over 350,000 redemptions by members of the public. To apply for the bursary, candidates must work at one of the 650 pools that signed up to participate in the Kellogg's Free Swim promotion.
For full details of courses, dates and venues and how to claim a Kellogg's Swim Active bursary visit the Teachers & Coaches section of the British Swimming website at http://www.britishswimming.org/. Course queries can also be made by email via customerservices@swimming.org or by phone on 0871 200 0928.
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For more information contact Kate Hannah in the Kellogg's press office on 0161 869 5035 or email kate.hannah@kellogg.com
Notes to Editors
Kellogg's is celebrating a 10-year partnership with the Amateur Swimming Association having been a main sponsor of swimming in Britain since 1997: it first partnered with the ASA to sponsor the ASA Swimming Awards Scheme and in 2007 worked with the ASA to develop the Kellogg's Swim Active programme.
Nationally, Kellogg's is investing £3m between 2006 and 2008, committing approximately £1m per year. This three-year commitment to the governing body of swimming in England, which will also benefit the sport in Scotland and Wales, is designed to specifically promote the ongoing benefits of physical activity and break down any barriers people may have that prevent them from participating in swimming.
Since the partnership between Kellogg's and the ASA began, more than 13 million swimming awards have been presented to youngsters, making the scheme the most successful awards scheme in British sport.
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