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Certificates

As they progress our young children in Starfish group will be awarded the following certificates:

Water confidence shallow water
10m backstroke legs
5m frontcrawl legs
Water confidence deep water

25m backstroke
10m frontcrawl

Racing dive

50m backstroke
25m frontcrawl
25m breast kick

100m backstroke
100m frontcrawl
50m breaststroke

Child Protection

The club is committed to the welfare of our swimmers and is vigilant to maintain this. The club has a child protection policy which can be viewed from this site. All our staff and teachers are police checked before they take up any role within the club. They are also required to attend a child protection course. However, if anybody has any concerns, or believes that the welfare of a child is at risk, they can call Swimline on 0808 100 4001.

Club Championships

Our club championships are held in November every year and all swimmers with a minimum of 6 months membership are encouraged to enter as a competitive event and to gain experience of gala conditions. There is no age restriction as long as they are able to swim 33 metres competently although the youngest age group is under 11. All events have trophies which are each engraved with the winners name and kept in their possession for the year. Medals are also awarded to the first three places. Trophies and medals are presented at a presentation evening the following January by the Club President, The Mayor of Greenwich.

Club Galas

The club encourages a competitive spirit and partakes in a variety of galas against other local clubs. Most galas involve about 6 clubs competing in a league and are run through the year. We currently participate in the Tudor League, the Millennium League and the North Kent Junior League. Young swimmers will enter their first competition normally in a 9 year olds relay event. The individual races don't start until the 10 years age group.

The Committee

The club is managed, following the club constitution, by a committee of 12 parents and club captains who meet at least once a month. The committee is elected at the Annual General Meeting. They handle membership, finance, pool hire, discipline, event bookings, social events, fund raising, general administration, running the office and with advice from the coach make decisions about group sessions and numbers. They have raised the status of the club by gaining affiliation to Swim21 the ASAs 21st century club development programme . All committee members are unpaid volunteers.

Communication

The club produces a quarterly newsletter which will also be posted on this site. Information about gala meets, teams and results will be put on the notice board outside the double doors of the lane pool at the Arches. If selected for a gala you will receive an invitation slip which should be promptly answered with a yes/no reply so that the coach can finalise the team.

Any problems or queries about club activities can be put to any member of the committee who, if necessary, will raise it for discussion at a committee meeting.

Insurance

Each club member must pay an annual fee to join the ASA (Associated Swimming Association). This provides insurance for accidents during training or participating at galas with the club. If however, you wish to take part in Open Meets, County Championships meets (where you are not directly representing the club) you will need to be registered with ASA as an individual swimmer. For more information regarding cover and fees please see the Membership Secretary.

Parent/Coach Responsibilities

The club or coaches can only be responsible for swimmers during their training sessions and not before or after this time.

The club cannot be responsible for your child away from the poolside. This includes the changing rooms, other areas of the buildings and outside any swimming pool used by the club. The conduct and behaviour of your child remains your responsibility at all times.

Resignations

If you decide to leave the club, please inform the membership secretary in writing. This will enable someone on the waiting list to take up your place. If joining another club an official ASA resignation form is available from the secretary of the new club. Under ASA rules once a member, you remain so until a written resignation is received.

Photography

The club requests that you refrain from using video, zoom or close range photography, including mobile phones cameras on poolside or the balcony during galas or at training sessions, or any other situation where swimmers will be wearing swimsuits. If you take pictures you must inform the club or gala organiser. This excludes coaches for training purposes.

Swimming Teachers

Most of our teachers are parents or ex-gold group swimmers, who have obtained an ASA level of professional swimming and/or lifeguard qualification. Some staff are unpaid volunteers and some work for modest wages. It is important that the time they spend for the benefit of the Club is not wasted and every co-operation during the teaching/coaching sessions is appreciated.

We know it is nice to see how your child is getting on but please don’t be a distraction whilst their lesson is in progress. Watch from a distance

If you want to know anything please don’t be afraid to ask or speak to any member of staff. Take the opportunity to meet and to get to know the teachers.

Swim Shop

The club shop has a small stock of swimming kit available in the office. This includes swimsuits, goggles, GSC T-shirts, T-bags. Please visit the Swim Shop page on this website for details and links to online swimming kit vendors.

Fund Raising

The club has an online shop where you can buy many different products and services. For every purchase you make through this shop the end supplier contributes money back to our club. You can see the amount that each supplier gives listed at the shop. Please click below to visit the shop to become familiar with the suppliers that are there and use it when you can - the prices claim to be as good as through any other source.