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The qualification window for the 2025 Aquatics GB Next Gen Championships and GoCardless Swim England National Summer Meet has opened.

It runs from Friday 7 March and through to Sunday 11 May.

Selection for the summer competitions are by invitation only based on long course times achieved during the window.

The 2025 season will see a change in the number of swimmers offered the opportunity to compete in the Aquatics GB Next Gen Championships based on data and evaluation from previous summer competitions.

In the 13-14 year age group, the 20 top-ranked swimmers in each group will be invited to compete. 

The 24 top-ranked swimmers in each event in the 15, 16, 17 and 18-year-old age groups will also be invited. 

In the 19 years and over age group, the 20 top-ranked swimmers will be invited to attend. 

The only exceptions to these numbers are the 800m and 1500m Freestyle events, where the top 18 swimmers will be invited in all but the 19+ age group, where 16 swimmers will be invited.

The Aquatics GB Next Gen Championships take place at Sheffield’s Ponds Forge International Sports Centre from Saturday 19 to Friday 25 July, with the same venue hosting the GoCardless Swim England National Summer Meet between Tuesday 29 July and Sunday 3 August.

Learn more

Coaches, participants, parents and clubs are being given an invaluable opportunity to play an active role in shaping the future of coaching in aquatics.

Swim England is to launch a new coaching strategy in 2025 and the views of the aquatics community will be at its heart.

The Co-creation of the Future of Coaching process aims to reconnect and redefine the purpose of coaching, build on existing good practice and create a thriving and flourishing coaching culture.

A survey is being distributed to more than 129,000 Swim England members, while a series of nationwide workshops will also be held for coaches to explore, reflect, discuss and develop ideas.

Complete the surveys

Coaches: bit.ly/SEcoachsurvey 

Participants and parents: bit.ly/SEparticipantsurvey

Face-to-face workshops

These are for coaches to attend and will be held across the country during March, with the sessions taking place at two times – 1.30pm to 4pm and 5.30pm to 8pm – at each venue.

South East Workshop

Thursday 27 March: Holiday Inn, Egerton Rd, Guildford GU2 7XZ

Book your place 

Workshops in other Regions

North East – Wednesday 5 March: Days Inn by Wyndham Wetherby
North West – Thursday 6 March: Macdonald Hotel and Resorts, Preston
East Midlands – Wednesday 12 March: SportPark, Loughborough University
West Midlands – Thursday 13 March: Mercure Birmingham West Hotel, West Bromwich
London – Wednesday 19 March: Hyatt Regency, Westfield, Stratford City, London
East – Thursday 20 March: Holiday Inn Lakeview, Cambridge
South West – Wednesday 26 March: Holiday Inn, Taunton

Places can be booked on the workshops by clicking here.

If you have not received a copy of the survey and wish to submit your views, please email [email protected]

Sara Todd, Chair of Swim England South East has been appointed to the Aquatics GB Board.

She joins Joan Wheeler  in replacing long-standing Swim England representatives Keith Ashton and Jane Nickerson.

Sara is an experienced procurement expert and executive coach whose career has seen her work in the automotive, food and FMCG industries, helping to support organisational change and collaboration with external partners.

She is a qualified swimming referee, Chair of the Board of the Swim England South East region and is passionate about diversity, inclusion and equity within aquatics. She is also the current president of the Region.

Sara said: “I am very honoured to be appointed to the Aquatics GB Board. It is always a privilege to be part of a team supporting athletes. 

“I look forward to bringing my international business acumen and aquatic leadership experience at club and regional level to help drive further success.”

Karen Webb Moss, Aquatics GB Chair, said: “I am delighted to welcome Sara and Joan to our Board. 

“Both have enjoyed impressive careers, outside of our sport and within the aquatics environment. 

“We know they will play important roles and bring strong contributions as we continue to work towards positive development, in the performance arena and beyond.

“I would also like to thank Keith and Jane for the support, insight and service they have both shown throughout their terms on the Board, and wish them the best for the future.”

Rebecca Hardy-Bishop from Crawley SC set a new S12 British Record of 20:55:93 for the 1500m during the Sussex Championships at K2 Sunday 16th February.

This weekend saw 24 regional swimmers compete in the Luxembourg international meet 2025. The objectives of this regionally supported programme are to provide international experience and a motivational opportunity for older athletes. In previous years we have had several swimmers then go on to participate in England teams, this camp provides that first step on the ladder. All of the results can be viewed here https://www.euromeet.lu/

We are very grateful to have a committed group of coaches sitting on our regional forum to help us plan this wonderful opportunity. We would like to say well done to all of the athletes and a big thank you to the support team and their clubs for releasing them.

Head Coach – Stuart McCrea (Leatherhead)

Assistant Head Coach – Jordan Honour (Thanet)

Development Coach – Joe Evans (Wycombe District)

Lead Team Manager – Lynne Harrison (Basingstoke)

Assistant Team Manager – Matt Swindells (Portsmouth Northsea)

Strength and Conditioning – Tom Company (Portsmouth Northsea)

We are very sad to report that Eileen Adams, a loyal supporter of swimming, her club and county (Amersham SC & Berkshire and South Bucks) and the region, passed away earlier today. She had been unwell for some time.

Eileen was known and loved by a multitude of people in the swimming world and was active right up to the end, organising the medals for the 2024 Short Course Championships just 2 months ago. She was our Regional President in 2017.

There will be a private family funeral, to be followed in due course by a celebration of her life. We will pass on arrangements when we have them.

Our thoughts and prayers are with her husband Ken and family at this time.

Following the regional short course championships we are delighted to announce the team heading to Luxembourg in January to represent the region at the Euro Meet 2025!

The team will be supported by;

Head Coach – Stuart McCrea

Assistant Head Coach – Jordan Honour

Coach – Joe Evans

Strength and conditioning – Tom Company

Team Managers – Lynne Harrison and Matt Swindells

Peter Roycroft like many people, started his involvement with swimming when his daughters joined their local swimming club in Amersham. From that time onward, he has been on an all-too-familiar journey, first being persuaded to pick up a stopwatch at club champs and then moving along the officials journey to eventually becoming a referee in 2020.

He became a member of the Amersham Swimming and Diving Club committee, serving in various capacities before becoming Vice Chair and, subsequently, Club Chairman for five years.

In 2023, he was elected as Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire County President, a role he enjoyed so much that he  agreed to become Vice President for the 2023/24 year.

As a referee, he has officiated at meets across the South East, and further afield, giving something back to a sport that has given hhim and his family so much.

Peter says that he is very much looking forward to joining and supporting the regional team and involving himself in the variety of activities that the region does. Peter will take over from Sara Todd next year.

A young team represented the South East at the Under 18 Inter-regional Tournament in Northampton on 12/13 October.

This was a very young squad with only two boys at the top of the age group and as a result 10 members of the team will be eligible to play again next year.

The competition was split into two groups of three with the South East scheduled to play the North East and the East with these results would decide who we would play in the place games on Sunday. The other group was made up of Scotland, Wales, and the West Midlands.

After 2 narrow defeats in the early rounds the team had an early startmagainst the West Midlands in the match that would decide 5^th & 6^th place.

After a strong start we were always in control of the match and our high pressure resulted in a regular turnover of possession which often led to goals on the counter attack. At half time we led 11-4 but a loss of concentration resulted in the West Midlands scoring a number of goals that should have been avoided. A dominant final quarter made the game safe and the final 18-10 score was a reasonable reflection of the difference between the two teams.

Read the full match report.

A South East ladies team went undefeated in Division Two to take home the crown U18 Girls’ Inter Regional Championships

They started out with victories against the North East Steelers (12-9), Scotland (14-6) and the East Midlands (15-3).

That left them in a final match shootout with the London Sharks for the title with both teams coming into the finale with a 100% record.

In a close contest, South East took control in the third quarter with three unanswered goals, including two from Lily Ross, gave them a well-earned 8-5 victory.

Speaking on their win, head coach Lauren Hand said: “We are thrilled that our u18 girls squad secured the division two win.

“The progress this team has made since they last competed two years ago has been outstanding and we’re so proud that our 2007 girls were able to finish with a win on their last outing representing the South East.”

Full report 

Masters swimming at the regional Short Course Championships on Saturday 28th September at K2 set new standards across the board.

Five British Records were set:

In addition 77 new individual Meet Best Times (MBPs) and 18 new team best times were set. Stand out performances were Martinus Marx (Crawley SC) and Viv Jones (Hastings Seagull SC) who both set 4 new times.

Dover Lifeguards SC led the team results with 7 new times – they also won the top team award.

Swim England are introducing some new opportunities to enable teachers and coaches who are also actively involved in Swim England affiliated clubs, to access the coach or senior coach certificate without having to complete the assistant coach or coach certificate first.

New opportunities:

The new opportunities being offered are:

• Teacher-to-coach recognition
• Overseas coach-to-coach recognition
• Overseas swimming coach to senior coach recognition

More information