Eastleigh Disability Swimming

12/04/2026

New members welcome! We're a friendly swimming club with exclusive access to the pools at Places Leisure Eastleigh every Tuesday at 8pm. Anyone with a physical or learning disability, or recovering from illness or injury or mental health difficulties is welcome. Please like, share and pass this on to spread the word! For more information please get in touch via the contact details on the poster. Thank you.

07/04/2026

Our swimming club member Tom Watson, who's autistic and a non-speaker, demonstrated the Spell to Communicate system at a very interesting session in Chandler's Ford recently. He's a strong advocate for the S2C system and encourages us all to 'presume competence' when meeting people who don't speak or even appear to show attention or understanding. The S2C system breaks through those barriers and can really change lives. More information is on i-asc.org and you can follow Tom on https://www.instagram.com/spellingtomcommunicates/

02/04/2026

Swimming club members have been fondly remembering Tony Parnell, who sadly passed away recently. Tony was a real character at the club, with a great sense of humour. Supported by Debbie, he was a keen and long time member. We'll all miss him. His tribute page can be found here: https://tonyparnell.muchloved.com

21/03/2026

The swimming club's AGM was held last week and members heard a good report of last year's finances, an update on some essential policies, and approved the updated constitution. There was also agreement to spread the word as there is space for a few new members to join. Please contact us for more information. And the flowers? - were a surprise thank you to committee members for helping to keep the club running smoothly. 💐 Thank you to the whole team 🙂

06/02/2026

Tom is a swimmer at our club and he'll be co-hosting this Spelling to Communicate and Presuming Competence Presentation in March. Anyone interested can book to attend.

This presentation offers a unique opportunity to hear the perspective of a non-speaking adult with autism, Tom Watson (), as he co-hosts our presentation centred around what Spelling to Communicate (S2C) is, how it works, and the difference the presumption of competence can make to people's lives.

Event details:
�� Thursday 19 March 2026
�� Session 1: 15:00–16:30
�� Session 2: 18:00–19:30
�� Fryern Pavilion, Greenways, Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh SO53 2LE

Both sessions will cover the same content and include a Q&A with Tom and two certified practitioners.

Please follow the QR code link on the attached to reserve your seat. The event is free of charge; registration simply helps us keep track of attendance numbers. You are also very welcome to share this invitation with anyone who may be interested.

For those who aren't sure; Spelling to Communicate (S2C) empowers non-speakers to overcome communication barriers posed by traditional oral expression by pointing to letters on a board as an alternative means of communication. By teaching the motor skills necessary to point on a letterboard, non-speakers improve motor planning and control, enabling them to communicate their thoughts and ideas quickly and accurately. About 70% of current spellers are autistic, the other 30% have other disabilities; such as Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and other genetic conditions or symptoms that affect motor-sensory skills.
More information can be found at the International Association for Spelling as Communication – i-asc.org

26/01/2026

As some may be aware, there's a proposal to remove Sport England as a consultee for planning applications, which may well have a negative effect on future provision of Sports Facilities. Members and supporters of this club may like to know that a petition has been raised to stop this proposal. See links below for more information.

Petition link https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/735586

Info https://sportandrecreation.org.uk/campaigns-and-policy/campaigns-and-influencing/protect-where-we-play

Signing map https://petitionmap.unboxedconsulting.com/?petition=735586

Visualise UK Government Petitions

14/12/2025

It's Christmas time! - and Eastleigh Disability Swimming Club's members and friends had a social evening with fun, fish and chips* and our 'famous' raffle at Fryern Community Centre last week. Thanks to everyone for coming and making it a success!
(*other options were available!)

18/12/2024

Christmas is coming, the swimmers are having fun …. out of the water! An evening of new age kurling, fish and chips, Christmas jumpers and the usual exciting raffle - at Eastleigh Disability Swimming club’s seasonal social. Merry Christmas everyone!

03/10/2024

We're pleased to report lots of new interest in our swimming sessions over recent months - but this does mean that our membership is now currently FULL. So if you're interested in finding out about joining, please be patient! and try us again in the new year. Thanks for your interest.

03/09/2024

Here’s Katie Martin’s piece on Radio Solent about Eastleigh Disability Swimming - from around 41 mins. Go us😉!

All the post-match reaction, including manager and player interviews, news and scores.

12/08/2024

BBC Radio Solent’s Katie Martin came to the Club’s swimming session last week and heard from several members and helpers about what swimming with the disabled swimming session means for them. Katie’s doing a piece on grassroots community sports clubs - watch out for a link to the item soon!