Knutsford Vikings Swimming Club has been able to take the plunge and buy new starting blocks after we dived in to support their fundraising.
The club, based at Knutsford Leisure Centre, had been raising money for the new equipment for three years before the homebuilder stepped in to help
Knutsford Vikings chair Liz Wallace explained: “Swimming is an expensive sport and we want to make it as accessible as possible. We have over 100 swimmers from age nine up, with squads training at Knutsford Leisure Centre almost every day. Pool hire and coaching costs are over £3,000 a month, paid for by members, and with such high overheads we felt we couldn’t ask them for additional funds for new starting blocks.
“Training using competitive standard starter blocks is important for our swimmers’ development – other clubs had better blocks than us and we’d been wanting to upgrade for some years. Our fundraising efforts were significantly thwarted by the pandemic and being out of the pool. We received funding from the Knutsford Town Mayor, Swim England, Cheshire Swimming & WP Association and had raised funds ourselves, before applying to Redrow’s Knutsford Community Fund to help us reach our target.
“The new starting blocks will benefit every single swimmer in the club, helping give them confidence and better their swim times where fractions of a second make all the difference.”
Knutsford Vikings includes swimmers from local primary schools and Knutsford Academy, trained by one full-time head coach with the support of volunteer coaches. Swimmers aged over 14 assist with coaching and inspiring younger swimmers.
Our £500 donation to Knutsford Vikings was from a £10,000 voluntary community fund linked to our Tabley Park development, which is less than half a mile from the leisure centre.
Area sales manager Amanda Hollins said: “The community fund programme is part of our commitment to creating thriving communities and building responsibly. We recognise that sports clubs are at the heart of communities and we are proud supporters of grassroots sports, which help people of all ages and abilities stay fit and active as part of a healthy lifestyle. We were happy to dive in and help Knutsford Vikings purchase the new starting blocks.”
If you’re ready to take the plunge and buy a new home at Tabley Park, visit the show homes, open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5.30pm and 12pm to 5:30pm on Monday, call
