WV Active Central and WV Active Bilston-Bert Williams are launching new swim sessions for children with additional needs.

The weekly sessions will be exclusively open to families with children who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and will be the first of their kind to be held at the City of Wolverhampton Council run leisure centres.

The family sessions will take place on Saturdays at WV Active Central and Sundays at WV Active Bilston-Bert Williams. They cost £2 per child and are free to parents or carers.

Councillor Steve Evans, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for City Environment, said: "We were approached by Voice4Parents, a group of parents and carers of children with SEND, about launching family swim sessions and we are delighted to be able to do so.

"It is very important that we make our leisure facilities accessible to as many people as possible. We know how difficult it can be for families of children with disabilities to find low cost activities which they can do together, so I am sure these new sessions will prove tremendously popular."

Jane Smith, Chair of Voice4Parents, said: "We are delighted to have worked with the City of Wolverhampton Council and WV Active to offer swimming activities for children and young people with additional needs.

"Parents and carers have told us how stressful it can be to go swimming when a child has special educational needs or a disability. WV Active has listened to parents and responded to their needs, and we hope the sessions are a great success."

The sessions will be held weekly, starting at WV Active Bilston-Bert Williams this Sunday (5 February) from 4.30pm to 5.30pm and at WV Active Central from 10.30am to 12.30pm beginning on Saturday 4 March.

Places should be booked in advance by calling 01902 551010.

To find out more about WV Active leisure centres, please visit Type=links;Linkid=4852;Title=WV Active;Target=_blank;, and for more information about Voice4Parents, please log on to Type=links;Linkid=8069;Title=Voice4Parents;Target=_blank;.

  • released: Wednesday 1 February, 2017