The Embrace Charity was awarded £2,500 which has enabled them to host a number of specialised Family Swim sessions for families affected by complex disability who would be unable to access a public pool together.

It is a monthly swim club for all members of the family in a hydrotherapy pool. The Charity offers practical support to enable the disabled young person to safely swim with their families using trained volunteers and paid staff. It is run by the Charities specialist family support workers who provide informal support before, during and after swim sessions.

The pool temperature in many public pools is too cold for many children and young people with complex physical disabilities and can cause their muscles to spasm. They also need carer support and swimming aids in order to swim. Add in keeping an eye on the younger children and that means a busy public swimming pool is often inaccessible to families with a young person with complex disabilities. In a hydrotherapy pool the warmth enables the young people to fully relax and swim with their siblings and with the support of our trained staff and volunteers, parent carers can either join their children without having to be the carer or just enjoy the scene from the poolside. The Family Support Worker are also there to offer support, guidance or a listening ear. There is also the added benefit of specialist equipment such as hoists, slings, accessible ramp and pool chairs.

Family Swim brings together families affected by complex disability and enables them to form a community and support each other. The Charity enables the whole family to enjoy a swim together without all the usual complexities.