Downside Fisher Youth Club (DFYC) supports socially excluded children and young people from Bermondsey, helping them to fulfil their potential through a structured programme of sport, educational, artistic and recreational activities.

The club has amazing facilities and is able to offer indoor football, archery, boxing, gym, studio, games room, a training kitchen and, an indoor, heated swimming pool.

This area of Southwark is one of the 16% most income deprived in the country. Approximately 15,000 children live in low-income families and the areas surrounding DFYC, Bermondsey and Rotherhithe, are amongst the boroughs most deprived.

The DFYC Swim School seeks to take advantage of the availability of DFYC’s swimming pool to increase water safety, teach water awareness and encourage supervised water sports among young people living near the banks of the river Thames in London. The programme aims to take non-swimming beginners, extend swimming capability and increase general fitness levels as well as introduce them to the importance of water safety and swim survival. Participants range from beginners to elite swimmers who then may train as ‘rookie’ lifeguards, fully qualified lifeguards, Kayakers andPaddle Sport Instructors.

This project will run four cycles of the 12-week Rookie Lifeguard course for approximately 12 youth club members each time. The courses will:
• Instill water confidence, swim survival and safe rescue skills.

• Promote ambition and inclusion, teamwork, discipline and organisational skills.

• Increase overall fitness levels, physical and mental health.

• Encourage young people to participate further in supervised water sports and paddle sports.

• Give 48 young people the chance to an accreditation, and offer opportunities for careers and employment in the swimming and lifeguarding sector.