Over 100 years of swimming

Background to Leamington Spa Amateur Swimming Club
Leamington Amateur Swimming Club Club was founded in 1885, using the old Pump Rooms 33 yard pool. It has continued to the present day except for an enforced suspension of activities for 5 years during the second World War. It even continued by hiring other local pools during the closure of the Pump Room Pool and subsequent fierce public debate about the type of pool to be built at Newbold Comyn. (A debate largely instigated by members of the Club in a bid to overturn the Council’s preference for a leisure only pool).

Initially, the Club covered swimming in a much more diverse sense – being better known, at least up to the middle of the 20th century, for its water polo teams, diving and life saving activities in addition to teaching and racing. There were galas including races (mostly for men and schoolboys it seems) but sometimes including demonstrations, ladies races, ‘novelty races’ and water polo matches – all on the same evening!

All through it’s long history the Club has been staffed by volunteers from the community, for the community. Every single person who volunteers from teachers, coaches and gala officials to runners, marshals, and squash dispensers; plays a valuable part in keeping the Club alive. It has always been a non-profit-making organisation with every penny of membership and session fees going towards pool hire, insurance, ASA affiliation etc. often with shortfalls made up by fund-raising in the form of raffles, stalls, sponsored swims etc.