Publication Date: 30-07-2024 09:00
Bellway sponsors medals at Newark Swimming Club’s first Mini Meet gala
A local housebuilder took the plunge and helped sponsor the medals at a Newark swimming gala held to give young swimmers a taste of competitive action.
Bellway East Midlands, which is building new homes at The Foresters at Middlebeck in the town, donated £500 to help pay for Newark Swimming Club’s first ever Mini Meet.
The event, which took place at Newark Sports and Fitness Centre, gave club swimmers aged between seven and 11 the chance to take part in a competition in a friendly setting. The meet, which was well-attended, also featured competitors from Southwell Swimming Club.
The Bellway East Midlands contribution helped pay for the medals but also went towards the cost of hiring the venue and enabled the club to lower the entry prices for the competitors and their families.
The club, which is based at the sports centre in Lord Hawke Way, less than a mile away from The Foresters at Middlebeck, was founded in 1935 and has about 170 members aged from five years upwards.
Adam McIntyre, Head Coach at Newark Swimming Club, said: “Our Mini Meet is all about boosting participation in competitive swimming in the local area.
“The £500 from Bellway made a significant contribution towards the pool hire and the cost of medals for the swimmers. This allowed us to keep the cost low and ensured the event was accessible to all, whilst allowing a small overall profit from the event that can be reinvested into volunteer training.
“The bottom line is that without the Bellway sponsorship, this event wouldn't have happened and 60 junior swimmers from Newark and Southwell would have missed out on the opportunity to take their first steps into the world of competitive swimming. We are very grateful to Bellway for its support and generous donation.”
Steve Smith, Sales Director at Bellway East Midlands, said: “Grassroots clubs play a vital role in bringing a community together and offering local youngsters the opportunity to try out a sport and make new friends.
“Newark Swimming Club is a long-established and very popular organisation within the local community, so when Kathryn Tregellas, a coach, committee member, volunteer co-ordinator and swimmer at the club approached us to see if we could sponsor the Mini Meet we were more than happy to help.
“We were extremely proud to support this inaugural event which gently introduced younger swimmers in the club to the competitive element of the sport and I am sure it will be the first of many.”
For more information about Newark Swimming Club, visit https://www.newarksc.co.uk/
Further details about The Foresters at Middlebeck development can be seen at https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/east-midlands/the-foresters-at-middlebeck.
