‘Exciting’ changes are to be made at a swim school.

The manager of Bridport Swim school has shared its vision for 2018.

Virginia Stewart, who has worked as an instructor at the centre for 10 years, progressed to swim school manager in 2015 and was instrumental in the relaunch of Bridport Swim School in May 2017.

She hopes to get every child in Bridport confident in the water from an early age.

The swim school - which is based at Bridport Leisure Centre, a registered charity - will be incorporating water safety courses to help with water confidence and safety awareness which, it believes, are ‘so important’ for anybody living in a coastal environment.

These sessions will be held before Easter - between March 19-24 - and then again between July 2-7 in the lead up to the summer holidays.

Virginia said: “I am a people person and my favourite part of my job is working with the children and the people who I meet. My mission is to get every single child in Bridport to love the water as much as I do, whilst at the same time being aware of its dangers. I also aim to get all of our local pre-school children into the water, to enjoy it and have fun through games and songs and to learn to swim.”

Virginia is aware of the importance of keeping parents up to date with developments here at the swim school.

The mission for 2018 is to improve and extend communication with swim school parents, who are just as important to the swim school as their children.

The leisure centre will be holding poolside open sessions to meet with parents and answer any questions they may have.

These will take place during all swim school sessions at the start of each month, commencing in February on Monday 4.

An inclusive swimming gala and water polo tournament is to be introduced this year for all swim school members. In addition, Rookie Lifeguard Courses will be open to any student at level 8, 9 or 10 of the Bridport Swim School programme.

Virginia says she has a real affinity with the water, starting on her journey to become swim school manager with her first swimming lessons at a very early age.

As a young mum Virginia passed on her love of the water to her children and took them to swimming lessons before they progressed on to play water polo and attend club swimming.

For further enquiries, contact Bridport Leisure Centre on 01308 427464.