PRESS RELEASE: Helping Young People with a Disability Learn to Swim Expanding across Regional NSW
Helping Young People with a Disability Learn to Swim Expanding across Regional NSW
6 June 2023
Rainbow Club, a network of social swimming clubs for young people with a disability, is delighted to announce expansion into regional NSW. While it already has clubs in towns across the regions such as Orange, Bateman’s Bay and Muswellbrook, the next two years will see Rainbow Club creating more local communities and opportunities for helping young people with a disability learn to swim.
The Rainbow Club is particularly targeting expansion into NSW Central West, the Riverina, the Northern Rivers and New England.
The majority of the $800K AUD investment for this project has come from Office of Regional Youth, which is within the Department of Regional NSW and the funding will enable up to 600 children in regional towns across NSW get the individualised lessons they need to learn to swim. Rainbow Club does this by recruiting and training dedicated and passionate swim teachers who understand disability.
Rainbow Club Australia CEO, Catriona Barry said “being able to swim is a skill for life and being safe around water is just as important in regional NSW as it is in Sydney and along the coast”
Ms Barry added “the huge shortage of qualified swim teachers is a big challenge and we are grateful for funding that will allow us to coordinate training for up to 70 new teachers in local regional communities. We will help those who would like to work in the disability sector get a Swim Teacher qualification and Rainbow Club will give them the added training necessary to teach children with a disability. A panel of occupational therapists will be involved in supporting teachers in this rewarding yet challenging job.
Rainbow Club is now inviting interest from parents of children with a disability, teachers and pool owners and is putting processes in place over the winter months with a view to opening clubs in the Spring and Summer of 2023
About Rainbow Club
Rainbow Club is a registered charity and a registered NDIS provider. It has over 50 clubs across NSW and QLD and helps children with disability learn to swim and be safe around water. It employs qualified swim teachers and gives them Rainbow Edge training and Occupational Therapist support to provide quality service to young people with a disability
Rainbow Club Australia (https://www.myrainbowclub.org.au/) https://www.myrainbowclub.org.au/nsw-regional-expansion/
For more information contact Amelia Stanislaus at [email protected] 0451 736 686 or
Catriona Barry at [email protected] 0417 221 119
Rainbow Club is a registered charity and a registered NDIS provider. It has over 50 clubs across NSW and QLD and helps children with disability learn to swim and be safe around water. It employs qualified swim teachers and gives them Rainbow Edge training and Occupational Therapist support to provide quality service to young people with a disability.