2 weeks Ago By Madeline Link
IN A stroke of good fortune, women from around the globe who dive into swimming for the first time will benefit from almost $1 million in funding. Login or signup to continue reading A Splash of Colour Swimming is the brainchild of Ennia Jones, a Zimbabwean woman living in Newcastle who has made it her mission to help women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds learn how to swim. On Thursday, Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon announced almost $1 million from the Play Our Way program to support the initiative.
Ms Jones said the program was about more than learning how to swim. "..
. it's about creating pathways to a lifelong love of swimming, improving water safety and building a legacy of new swimmers and future role models from diverse communities," she said. A Splash of Colour Swimming aims to address the fear of water, teach crucial swimming skills, improve water safety and promote better health outcomes.
The program builds confidence and community. Some of the women who take part are the first in their family to learn how to swim. The initiative also fosters social inclusion and creates employment opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse women within the aquatic sector.
Ms Claydon said swimming was an essential skill that everyone deserved the opportunity to learn. "I'm incredibly excited to have secured this funding for A Splash of Colour Swimming, which will help make swimming more accessible to women who face social, cultural and financial barriers," she said. "The program is a shining example of how we can build a stronger, more inclusive community for all here in Newcastle.
" Ms Jones was inspired to start A Splash of Colour Swimming when she was training for a triathlon and noticed a number of women watching their children at The Forum who did not know how to swim. Madeline Link is a born and bred Novocastrian who started her career as a journalist in the New England North West in 2016. She is an experienced council and court reporter, former deputy editor of the Northern Daily Leader and two-time Kennedy Award finalist.
In unrelated incidents, she previously reported on country music in Australia's country music capital and was once flung across Lake Macquarie in a power boat at more than 100 kilometres per hour. Maddie now works at the Newcastle Herald with a focus on Newcastle council. To keep up with my stories, follow my X @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.
[email protected].
Madeline Link is a born and bred Novocastrian who started her career as a journalist in the New England North West in 2016. She is an experienced council and court reporter, former deputy editor of the Northern Daily Leader and two-time Kennedy Award finalist. In unrelated incidents, she previously reported on country music in Australia's country music capital and was once flung across Lake Macquarie in a power boat at more than 100 kilometres per hour.
Maddie now works at the Newcastle Herald with a focus on Newcastle council. To keep up with my stories, follow my X @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.
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