Chester City Baths is launching new swim sessions to inspire the community to enjoy the iconic Victorian baths.
Little Fishes, a twice-weekly event for parents and toddlers aged 1–3, helps children build confidence in water. The pool is filled with toys and children and adults play at their leisure. A swim teacher or lifeguard is on hand at all times to give safety tips and advice.
The sessions ruin on Monday from 9.30-10.30am and Friday 10.30-11am. Cost: £4 for adults £2 for child.
The Over Sixties Social Swim welcomes both beginners and accomplished swimmers at a reduced entry fee. Participants can swim at their own pace or tap into expert tuition from one of the swim teachers which is included in the entry fee.
The sessions run on Tuesday and Friday 11am-noon. Cost: £3 per session, £15 per month or £150 annually.
The programme is being developed by ex-international swimmer turned coach Nick O’Boylan on behalf of the Chester Swimming Association, the charity established to manage the operations of the baths. Nick joined Chester City Baths as the aquatic development manager in April 2017.
He said: “Chester City Baths is a one of the finest examples of Victorian baths in Britain and a real asset for our community. Chester Swimming Association has asked me to find ways to welcome as many people as possible through the door and into the crystal clear waters for exercise, fun and a great experience.
“Little Fishes is a confidence building session that both the toddlers and their grown ups will gain from and our over 60s social swim is a great way to meet new people as you get some exercise.
“This is just the start, there is a lot happening on top of the water – and under it – but if anyone in our community has something they’d love to see happen, then get in touch.”
These two new swim sessions follow hot on the heels of the baths’ first half term swim camp for the children of Chester, where more than 30 swimmers aged four to 11 were put through their paces as they mastered their strokes and water based skills.
Built in 1901, the historic Chester City Baths has been under the careful stewardship of the Chester Swimming Association, a charity set up to manage the operations of the building and the building owners Chester West and Chester Council.
The building had a major refurbishment, opening its doors again in 2015 to generally improve the overall experience for adults and children alike.
