VICTORY FOR VIKINGS

 

North Walsham Vikings Swimming Club have been settling back into the Victory pool at North Walsham and are getting set for next year’s County Championship potentially post-poned until March.

 

Although training has been restricted because of covid regulations and guidance from the sports governing body Swim England, the Vikings have been training six days a week and the response has been very encouraging. The current set up has been carefully co-ordinated to cater for four ability levels plus a masters section and is supporting  60 swimmers across the range. Head coach Sam Watts explained.

 

“I am happy with the response so far. It just shows a real need for such a healthy outlet of participation through swimming which youngsters are clearly getting so much out of their participation. I am focusing towards the County Championships now and hopefully other competitions. Meanwhile, the numbers back in the learn to swim have also been reassuring.”

 

With the initiative of the club’s SOFA project (Swimming Opportunities For All) in July, when the club used Beeston Hall School pool, the Viking’s Learn To Swim programme has  continued at Aylsham High School which has again attracted 20 children on Tuesdays and Fridays. As a bonus, the club are now welcoming back former members who are rejuvenating their enthusiasm for swimming post covid.

 

“Its pleasing to be back especially in the wake of Swim England’s announcement that over a quarter of pools in the UK still have not opened and many hundreds are facing an uncertain future” remarked Club Chairperson, Sarah Buchan.

 

If you would like your youngster to be apart of the SOFA project trying out for the squads or taking part in the learn to swim programme please contact learn2swim@norfolkvikings.co.uk

SOFA PROJECT

Swimming Opportunities For All (SOFA) is not just for existing club members but for the wider community. It ranges from learn to swim through to regional and indeed national performance level. Our key priorities at the moment are to rejuvenate participation post covid at all levels and increase the number of students participating, so that more can enjoy safer swimming and for others, return to quality sport and healthy competition. Our top squads, 1 & 2, were are striving for excellence and we want to get this focus back as soon as possible. The NNVSC is the smallest club in Norfolk but has in place a progressive system from learn to swim to regional and national level. If you would like to take part in SOFA – either the learn to swim – or try out for the squads contact Jane  learn2swim@norfolkvikings.co.uk  There is currently a charge for participation although rates are very competitive. All sessions are currently being held at beeston Hall school, Beeston Regis. 

There will be NO training on :

Good Friday 10th April

Easter Sunday 12th April

Easter Monday 13th April

Training as Normal on :

Easter Saturday 11th April

 

Dear Parents and Swimmers,

 

NNVSC has taken the advice issued by Swim England and produced the following information for our swimmers. The health and wellbeing of everyone who takes part in any aquatic activity is of paramount importance to everyone at NNVSC.

NNVSC is currently following the latest guidance from the Government and Public Health England and is advising its swimmers, coaches, teachers, and volunteers to do the same. At this time, NNVSC is continuing to plan for sessions as normal.

However, the national governing body will be following the latest information and assessing risk as appropriate.

Due to the ongoing spread of novel coronavirus, there have been a number of calls to Swim England about whether it is safe to still go swimming.

The Pool Water Treatment and Advisory Group (PWTAG) has been in contact with Public Health England regarding novel coronavirus. A spokesperson for PWTAG said: “Public health opinion is that it is generally safe to go swimming at this time.

“Water and the chlorine within swimming pools will help to kill the virus. However, visitors to swimming pools are reminded to shower before using the pool, to shower on leaving the pool and to follow the necessary hygiene precautions when visiting public places to help reduce the risk of infection.”

These include washing your hands for at least 20 seconds, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze and do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.

Most importantly, if you feel unwell, please avoid using the pool.

This announcement is not intended to panic anyone and NNVSC is sharing the above information to ensure all possible precautions are taken. Should this information or advice change we will communicate it to you via email. If we have to cancel sessions at short notice, we will inform you via text and / or email. Please ensure that we have the most up to date contact details for you.

Best regards,

 

 

S R Buchan

 

 

Sarah Buchan

Chairperson North Norfolk Vikings Swimming Club

No training on the following dates during the Christmas/New Year period:

Tuesday 24^th December

Wednesday 25^th September

Tuesday 31^st December

Wednesday 1^st January.

 

No triathlon session: Friday 27^th December.

 

All other sessions as normal

11th August 2019

 

Dear Vikings Triathlon member

 

The Vikings Committee has undertaken a recent review of the squads and lane usage to ensure that the Club is covering the costs of lane hire and coaching.

 

The Friday Triathlon session is currently running a significant financial loss particularly over the Summer months. To allow the Friday Triathlon sessions to continue there needs to be enough Triathlon swimmers on subscription and it is no longer financially sustainable for swimmers to “pay as you swim”. There is an opportunity to swim on a Wednesday 7-8pm and Sunday 5-6pm if you are unable to swim on a Friday or the Friday Triathlon session is discontinued; this would be open to those on subscriptions.

 

The Committee have decided to add an adult lane on a Wednesday 7-8pm which will have a session written by a coach and supported by one. This lane will swim alongside masters and is not masters level. Although, if you are suitably able to join them you may.

 

The Committee therefore needs to be able to have in place by 31^st August 2019 enough regular subscriptions from triathlon members to allow the Friday session to continue. If we do not have enough subscriptions by this date there will be no further Vikings Friday Triathlon session unless there is enough interest and subscriptions in the future to re-start.

 

Fees for a weekly swim is £15 per calendar month and twice weekly £28 per calendar month  and annual membership fee is currently £25 a year and needed for registration with the ASA and insurance purposes..

 

Those Triathlon members who are not currently on subscriptions and/or not paid the annual membership fee please arrange by contacting Jane Bussey ( finance@norfolkvikings.co.uk)  if you would like to continue being able to swim on a Friday Triathlon session. Please could you also indicate in the event the Friday session is discontinued whether you would swim another session or cancel your subscription. If a response is not received, it will be assumed that you no longer wish to swim with Vikings. For those who have not completed membership details and category 1 form this is also required if you wish to swim with Vikings. These documents are also attached.

 

If you have any questions about these changes please contact Vikings Chair Sarah Buchan or Committee Member Becky Horne. If there are questions about the subscription set up please contact Treasurer Jane Bussey.

 

An update will be communicated in the first week of September to confirm the sessions available to Triathlon members after this time.

 

Yours sincerely

 

North Norfolk Vikings Swimming Committee

Congratulations to out team of swimmers who competed at the weekend in Thetford at the Warwick Thompson gala. Six of our junior swimmers represented the club in the norfolk event against the other local county clubs and achieved 13 personal best (PB) times between them.

Florence street Swam a great first race for the club racing the 200m backstroke in 3:45.86, dropping her PB from 4:02 to take second place in her age group. Florence also secured PB times in the 50m breast, 50m backstroked swam another brilliant 20 second PB in the 200m breastroke! This placed her 5th in her age group.

13 swimmers represented the club at the annual Norfolk ASA County Championships held at the UEA sport spark over 3 weekends in January and February. The swimmers results included 31 top 8 positions and finals, as well as 10 medals including 3 bronze, 1 silver and 6 Gold’s.

The championships marked the first long course meet within the 2018/2019 racing season, as well as the first time racing in a 50m pool for some of our younger swimmers. The team pulled together well, with the older swimmers leading dry land warm ups before pool warm ups for races, and encouraging one another before and after races.

Joseph Hollick started the racing with the 200m freestyle event producing a strong swim in 3:11.18, converting to a PB from a long course swim. This placed him 13th in the 10/11 year age group. Five of the girls then raced the 100m backstroke. Abi Gotts secured 1:17.77 in her swim beating her short course PB, securing a position for the final and finishing 6th, along with Natalie Claxton who placed third in her age group, achieving third in the final also. India Weston also placed 4th in the open age group, securing 6th overall in the final.

In the afternoon session 6 swimmers raced the 200m Freestyle, where Emily Haslam achieved 1st place in the 15 year age group in a time of 2:16.80 to equal her short course PB. Abi Gotts placed 7th; India Weston 4th; Leah Harris 12th;Steph Claxton 12th and Alanya Shaw 18th. The girls were then faced with a tough challenge of the 200m individual medley shortly after the 200m freestyle, and we saw India Weston achieve the bronze medal in the open age group. Natalie Claxton had a great swim beating her short course PB and taking 5th place in 2:59.60, with Abi Gotts also placing 5th.

The next session included the 400m freestyle event, where Emily Haslam achieved second place just 0.1 seconds behind first, in 4:53.40. Later that session she went on to win the 100 freestyle in 1:01.87. Other finalists included Abi Gotts who came 4th. Congratulations also to Raphaelle Horne-Morris and Natalie Claxton who both equaled their short course PB’s in this event. In the afternoon the girls raced the 50m freestyle event, with Ella Haughan-Zelos achieving a PB in 36.70. Katy Colman also PB’d in a strong performance placing her 16th. In the afternoon the girls all swam well in the 50m fly, where we saw 7 swimmers achieve a PB, including Florence Street racing this event for the first time in the 50m pool. This was a great performance and a reflection of the work they have done on this stroke in recent months.

The final day of the meet occurred on Sunday 10th Febraury having been re-scheduled from the 27th of January after maintenance issues. It had been a long championships for the swimmers and the last day saw Natalie Claxton secure the gold medal in the 50m backstroke final in a strong swim, taking the race by half a body length. Isaac Buchan had a fantastic swim in the 100m freestyle, securing a 3 second PB in 1:31.55. Ruby Tracey swam the 200m breastroke, finishing 6th in the 14 year age group in 3:14.23. She swam the race very smartly and with a good stroke, showing improvement from recent months. In the afternoon Emily concluded the championships for the club taking the gold in the 100m fly in a PB of 1:10.85.

Congratulations to everyone who competed, everyone swam well and are looking promising for the season ahead. Well done to Emily Haslam and Leah Harris on achieving regional qualifying times, and thankyou to the team managers for their assistance during the competition.

Well done and thank you to all the swimmers and volunteers who gave up there time to pack shopping bags at Morrisons in Cromer today. A massive £340 was raised to bolster club funds.