Puddle Ducks sees surge in demand

Lessons are experiencing huge customer levels, as families want to make up for lost time in the pool and realise the importance of swimming skills

After 12 months of closures and disruptions, children across the UK have missed out on so much learning and development, including being in the water. As swimming lessons restart and more are booking holidays or even staycations, getting children back in the water safely has never been more important.

Baby and child swim school, Puddle Ducks is welcoming its customers back to their lessons, for which they have seen a huge surge in demand since pools reopened on 12 April.

Lessons are experiencing huge customer levels, as families want to make up for lost time in the pool and realise the importance of swimming skills.

Recent reports from Swim England show that over the past year, up to 240,000 children have missed out on learning how to swim 25 metres, a requirement of the national curriculum. This has had a clear impact, with The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) announcing an increase in the number of water-related fatalities in the last 12 months.

Jo Stone, managing director and co-founder of Puddle Ducks said: “We are so excited to be back in the pool. Missing out on nearly a year of lessons has definitely had an impact on our children, and they have missed having fun in the water! Our lessons are child-led so we develop the children’s swimming skills based on what they’re comfortable doing, which is a great way to ease them back into the water and rebuild their confidence.

“Our swimmers are taught personal survival skills from a very young age, helping them to stay safe in the water. Skills like these are so important, especially as we return to holidays with pools or even outdoors in the UK as we head into the summer months; they can help parents feel at ease knowing their children know how to stay safe in the water.”

Puddle Ducks provides baby swimming classes, perfect for those ‘lockdown parents’ who have missed out on so many early-month activities. Jo said: “Many parents who had their babies during lockdown have missed out on sharing those first months with family and friends, but have also missed out on participating in many important activities including baby swimming. It is a beautiful way to bond with your baby and build their water confidence from a really young age.”

Puddle Ducks teaches children from birth to 10 years to swim independently, beautifully and confidently. With lessons across England, Wales and Scotland. The fun-filled lessons are child-led, suited to the child’s ability and confidence levels, teaching them to love and respect the water in an enjoyable way.