Swim England are Celebrating 150 Years!

This year Swim England is celebrating 150 years as the national governing body for swimming in England.

The history of the organisation can be traced to 7 January 1869 when the first meeting took place at the Turnhalle in Kings Cross. The early members were London-based clubs, but the organisation quickly expanded across the country. Over the course of the following 17 years a number of name-changes took place until in 1886 it became the Amateur Swimming Association.

Throughout the organisation’s history, Swim England - as it is has been known since 2017 – has remained a membership organisation committed to its 200,000 members and over 1,000 affiliated clubs. It continues to lead the aquatics sector, setting the rules of the sport, providing expert teaching and coaching for the workforce and creating a pathway for our talented athletes.

January 2019

Swimming is as important and relevant today as it was 150 years ago. Athletes across all disciplines continue to push the boundaries of ability and speed, and the physical and mental health benefits of swimming regularly have been proven. This has led to swimming being one of the most popular activities with over seven million people swimming weekly and 47 per cent of the population swimming each year.

For more information about Swim England visit www.swimming.org.