Andy Salmon: How swimming can help deliver new Government’s ‘missions’

Following Labour’s victory in the General Election, Swim England chief executive Andy Salmon offers his thoughts on how swimming can help the new Government deliver on key policy missions.

Our belief at Swim England is simple – that aquatic activity can offer the country enormous benefits.

I’d like to congratulate Sir Keir Starmer on becoming Prime Minister and we look forward to working with the new Government to showcase how swimming can contribute towards their election promises.

The Labour manifesto stated: “Prevention will always be better, and cheaper, than a cure. So, we must take preventative public health measures to tackle the biggest killers and support people to live longer, healthier lives.”

We at Swim England agree and are eager to collaborate on the agenda to improve public health and deliver economic growth. 

At Swim England, we believe that swimming is integral to this mission, playing a pivotal role in reducing productivity loss through ill health and building a healthier future.

Our Value of Swimming report showed that swimming prevents almost 80,000 cases of ill health annually and has the potential to do so much more. 

It can help people to lead happier, healthier lives and, in turn, enhance the economic productivity we need to enable the investment in, and maintenance of, swimming facilities across the nation. 

By investing in these resources, we can create jobs, stimulate local economies and, most importantly, nurture a healthier, more active population – and we will be making this case.

Universally recognised

We know that swimming is much more than just a sport – it is a powerful preventive healthcare tool. 

Regular swimming can help prevent and manage a wide range of health conditions, including obesity, cardiovascular disease and mental health disorders. 

By promoting swimming as a cornerstone of public health, we can significantly reduce the burden on the NHS.

We envision a future where swimming is universally recognised for its health benefits and where every citizen has the opportunity to swim regularly. 

Working together with the Labour Government, we can transform this vision into reality, fostering a healthier, more prosperous nation for all.

Labour has previously spoken of ‘expanding responsible access’ to blue spaces. 

The manifesto was lacking in detail on what that might look like in practice and we will seek clarity on plans in this area as we continue to campaign for increased access to outdoor swimming opportunities.

There is a lot of work to do and we look forward to collaborating with the new Government – and all political parties – to showcase how important aquatic activity is to the entire nation.