Local school children are being encouraged to learn to swim in one of Torbay’s best pools….thanks to a new initiative by the Riviera International Centre.

The Centre is set to offer a special package to local schools that will encourage them to use the Waves pool on a weekly basis to help their pupils to learn to swim.

The Centre has just secured a year’s booking with the Sherwell Valley Primary School and is hoping other schools will follow their lead.

Jacquie Lovett, senior swimming instructor, explained that many schools were not fortunate enough to have their own swimming facilities and needed to rely on public swimming pools.

“We have had a lot of interest shown by schools about using Waves Leisure Pool on a permanent basis and decided we would like to encourage this by allowing them to use our pool an hour a week for up to a year.”

“We are prepared to offer schools a very favourable deal as we are keen to encourage all children to swim.”

The new initiative coincides with the announcement that Torquay based Spa Life has agreed to sponsor the Centre’s Swimming Teachers for the fifth year.

Managing director Robin Hart said the company would be donating a sum of money for the swimming instructors to purchase their uniforms which would feature the SpaLife logo.

SpaLife specialises in spas and hot tubs particularly for private homes and gardens. Robin used to be the leisure manager at the Riviera Centre and is delighted to give something back – as he puts it – to his previous employer.

He said: “The sponsorship has helped to put our name forward to parents who want their children to grow up unafraid of the water and who, hopefully, become spa and hot tub users of the future.”