Youngsters make a splash as Puddle ducks swimming lessons resume in Grantham

Children have made a real splash at their first swimming lessons since Covid thanks to the safe relaunch of Puddle Ducks.

Youngsters were welcomed back to the pool earlier this month after the business, which teaches swimming to babies from birth and children up to the age of 10, was forced to halt lessons during the national lockdown.

Classes in Grantham are currently held at Oceans Health and Fitness, in Dysart Road.

Although pools have been allowed to reopen since the end of July, Puddle Ducks pushed back its relaunch date to September in order to ensure that its venues were completely safe and fully up to date with the company’s Covid-19 guidelines.

The company said plenty of hard work has gone into making sure that lessons can restart safely, and that it has gone above and beyond to ensure the safety of little swimmers.

More than 140 lesson plans have been rewritten with slight changes to the usual format of classes, which focus on individual development and fun.

Nicola Wilson, owner of Puddle Ducks Lincolnshire, said: “We are excited to have restarted lessons and are so happy to have welcomed our children back to the pool.

“Lockdown has seen many youngsters miss out on six months of swimming, so we are delighted we can now welcome them back to lessons to continue developing their confidence in the water.

“Throughout lockdown, we have provided skills and activities for our little swimmers to practice on dry land, in the bath or in their paddling pools via our weekly newsletters, but nothing can compare to being in the pool. Learning to swim is an essential life skill, and we have made sure children can get back to lessons as safely and as soon as possible.

“We have taken extra time to relaunch our lessons to ensure our company’s Covid-19 guidelines are adhered to across all our pools. Things to look out for at lessons include children bringing their own equipment for lessons. If equipment is borrowed, it should be frequently disinfected and not shared between children during a lesson. You should avoid lessons where instructors are in the pool or spectators are allowed by the side, as these lessons are not fully adhering to the government guidelines.”

Puddle Ducks said it has received 15,000 enquiries about lessons since lockdown began.

For information, visit: www.puddleducks.com/local-teams/lincolnshire