No, the BSA is not a swim school. The BSA is a charity that offers water orientation courses for people who do not engage in swimming and other aquatic activities. Many of the Black and Asian communities we serve do not engage in aquatic activities (kayaking, swimming, snorkelling, etc.) due to a fear of the water, a lack of access to water based facilities and activities, and/or the lack of positive cultural representation.
Currently, we do not offer learn to swim courses. However, our programmes are geared towards teaching those without any swimming experience how to firstly be safe in the water, hence why we call them our ‘water safety’ programmes. Our award-winning water safety programme, Together We Can (™), is the course where people with very little to no swimming ability start their water journey. If you would like to learn more about Together We Can (™) as well as our other programmes, you can find more information in the ‘Programmes’ tab above.
Together We Can (™) is offered across a number of boroughs in London as well as across cities in South Wales. Follow us on Instagram (@blackswimmingassociation) for information on our latest water safety sessions and how to sign up. A Programmes Calendar that will live on our website is also on its way!
THEY ARE FREE! All BSA programmes are free of charge for those who are eligible. You can be eligible for most of our programmes based on the area that you live, work, or study. This is to ensure that our work is reaching those who are considered local in the boroughs we work in.
We are a charity that works to raise awareness of water safety and drowning prevention, in particular with Black and Brown communities across the UK. This is because data shows drowning rates are higher amongst these groups. Therefore, our primary audience are people in these communities who cannot swim, do not swim, and/or are afraid of swimming. However, we believe water safety should be accessible to everyone and we welcome all minority groups to sign up to our courses.
Primarily, we offer water safety programmes that focus on individuals learning the basics of swimming and water safety techniques. However, we are always looking at ways to expose our communities to aquatic activities that they ordinarily would not engage in; whether that be due to a lack of access, cultural significance or understanding.
Our goal is to make water based activities like kayaking, paddle-boarding, surfing, and of course, swimming all within reach for those who thought it impossible.
Yes we do, but not every month. For more details follow us on Instagram (@blackswimmingassociation) for information on our latest water safety sessions and how to sign up. A Programmes Calendar that will live on our website is also on its way!