'Help keep our babies swimming at coast' - appeal

Sarah Scupholm fears the Dinky Dolphins classes she attends may sink in the winter if they cannot find a pool heated to 30C and with facilities where babies can be warm when they are changed.

"The coastal area is surrounded by drains, dykes, rivers and reservoirs,” said Sarah, who has two grandchildren aged two and eight months, who currently attend classes in a pool outside Wrangle Primary School.“All children should be taught to swim to enable them to save their own lives but we have been struggling to find a suitable pool.

"They have to be 30C to be warm enough for the babies and most pools are not this temperature.

"Although Wrangle is warm it is not in a proper building and we are worried it will be too cold for babies to change in when winter comes.

"Also some of the mums in Skegness think it is two far to travel.

"If we lose this pool where do we ‘grow’ our lifeguards for the future or even another Adam Peaty?

"It shouldn’t take a child to slide down a drain and die for facilities to be made available.

”We know there are people with private pools out there who may be interested in renting them out to help with running costs.

"We’ve approached everywhere we can think of and would now love to hear from anyone who can help.

”There isn’t another group like ours and we are desperate to keep it going.”

Dinky Dolphins creates a ‘safe, warm and happy environment’ for babies and toddlers to learn the techniques to make them competent and confident swimmers.

Instructors are Swimming Teachers Association (STA) trained and run half-hour sessions for babies as early as six weeks’ old during term time.

There are also Sink or Swim classes held in the county for older children aged four upwards.

If you have a pool you would like to offer the group call 07944441998 or email [email protected]