We run women only swim sessions each week during term time, following support from Active Surrey with Dorking Muslim Association to find a suitable pool and initial grant in May 2023 targetting at Muslim women. We then applied for funding from Sport England/National Lottery to run this for a year 2024-2025.
We now run these sessions for any women who wishes to swim - we have 2 female coaches and a female lifeguard. We have exclusive use of the pool on Friday evenings, not visible from the outside at all. There are 4 lanes and we have lessons which are bookable on the app to members £10 6.30-7.15 and 7.15-8pm as well as one lane for an open swim for those who wish to be in the pool without needing coaching/lesson.
Here Salma shares her experience;
"I never learned to swim as a child and it was always on my bucket list of things to do. When my children started swimming, I worried I might one day regret not learning, should they ever get in trouble.
I wear a hijab so finding female only facilities that were fully private, was impossible until I came across Girls Alive. I applied for a space the minute I heard about it.
On my first lesson I couldnt get my feet off the ground or even put my head underwater. I was so worried about drowning but I had the most supportive swimming coaches who made me feel so safe and helped me rationalise my thoughts. It took me around 5-6 lessons before I swam unaided for the first time. It was only a few metres but I felt so proud of myself. It then took me months to be brave enough to go into the deep end but recently I swan 20 full lengths!!
I look forward to my friday swimming sesh every week. I have so much fun amd love learning new things. I feel immense calm when im just doing my own thing. I love having a space where I can just unwind and do what others probably learned as kids and take for granted."
To join girls ALIVE click the link on the website or drop us an email!