Chair & Welfare Conference Saturday 6^th September

There is still time to book your place! For this event to go ahead, we must reach our minimum number.

On Saturday 6^th September 2025, the Region will be hosting it’s first Chair & Welfare Officer conference at the lovely setting of Stapleford Granary in Cambridgeshire.

The day will run between 10 am and 4 pm with inputs from SE Safeguarding, the National Welfare Officers, Governance, Active Sports Partnerships and more!

Lunch is included and it is free to attend! Spaces are limited to 2 per club. If your club's Welfare officer or chair cannot attend, you are welcome to send 2 other representatives from your club committee.

The day will focus on how chairs and welfare officers can effectively work together whilst still maintaining confidentiality and cover topics such as how to deal with outcomes following a SE Safeguarding investigation, the behaviour policy, culture change, how Active Sports Partnerships can help your club and a Q&A with a panel of experts.

It will be an excellent opportunity to network, give feedback to the region, put faces to names and pick up some ideas to implement at your clubs to allow them to flourish and make your job easier!

Please support this event.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Water Polo Rules Update

This online session has been organised and will cover the recent changes to World Aquatics Water Polo Rules. It’s aimed at referees, coaches & players and will explain how the new rules work in practice. 

The 90 minute interactive session will be led by Chris Stephens, Swim England WP Officials Lead, and there will be ample opportunity to ask questions.



World Aquatics has introduced new Water Polo rules, effective from 1 July 2025 for English clubs.

Key updates include a standardised 25m pitch for all matches and revised team structures allowing up to 14 players. Field players can now substitute as goalkeepers under specific conditions. Timeout and restart rules have been adjusted, and possession times streamlined to 28 and 18 seconds. Several fouls and misconduct rules have been clarified, especially around re-entry, goalkeeper conduct, and underwater play.

Club Email Address

To help improve communication, ensure continuity, and support GDPR compliance, we strongly encourage all clubs to use generic role-based email addresses for key club positions, such as:

• Chair – chair@swimmingclub.com
• Head Coach – coach@swimmingclub.com
• Secretary – secretary@swimmingclub.com
• Welfare Officer – welfare@swimmingclub.com

Using role-based addresses has several benefits:

✅ Ensures a smooth transition when personnel change

✅ Reduces the risk of lost or misdirected emails

✅ Helps maintain privacy and protects personal email addresses

✅ Makes it easier for external organisations to contact the right person

It is also advised to list these emails on your Club website so the correct email address can be found for the relevant person, rather than just a “Contact Us” link

If your club is not already using generic addresses, we recommend discussing this within your committee.

East Region Para Championship 

Entries are still open for the SEER Para-Swimming Meet 2025, which will be held on:

📅 Sunday, 21st September 2025

📍 Newmarket Leisure Centre

This meet offers a great opportunity for para-swimmers to compete in a supportive and inclusive environment.

🕛 Closing Date for Entries: Wednesday, 20th August 2025

Please ensure all entries are submitted before the deadline – late entries will not be accepted.

There are two separate entry forms:



1. Classification Entry Form – for swimmers who will be classified at the meet. This form is tailored to ensure the correct events are entered for classification purposes.
2. Standard Entry Form – for all other competitors.

Please make sure to use the appropriate form.



For full details and access to the entry forms, please visit:

East Region Masters Championship 

We are excited to announce that entries are open for the SEER Master Championships 2025, which will take place on:

📅 Sunday, 7th September 2025

📍 Newmarket Leisure Centre

This is a fantastic opportunity to compete, connect with fellow swimmers, and enjoy a great day of racing.

🕛 Closing Date for Entries: Midnight on Wednesday 27th August 2025

Please ensure your entries are submitted before the deadline – late entries will not be accepted.

For full event details and to enter, please visit:

Open Water Swimming Coach - Course

Following the recent release of the Swim England Open Water Guidance, now is the perfect time to ensure your coaching team is equipped with the right skills.

The Swim England Open Water Swimming Coach Certificate is designed to develop the specialist knowledge needed to coach in open water environments.

This course enables coaches to:

• Effectively and independently plan, prepare, deliver, monitor, and evaluate open water training sessions
• Support swimmers in safe and enjoyable open water experiences
• Enhance performance through structured, progressive coaching

Whether you're introducing swimmers to open water for the first time or developing competitive open water athletes, this qualification provides the essential tools for success.

Aquatics Coach Mentoring Programme 

Swim England’s Aquatics Coach Mentoring programme for 2025-2026 provides an opportunity for coaches across all areas of the sport to work with an experienced coach mentor.



The purpose of the Aquatics Coach Mentoring programme is support and challenge aspiring coaches to learn, develop and grow in their role. Through this programme we hope to continue to raise the quality of coaching across the aquatic sports.

We know that mentoring is a proven, effective and impactful way to support and develop coaches. Therefore, the Aquatics Coach mentoring programme is an important and fundamental part of the Swim England coach learning and development offer.

“Behind every successful person, there is one elementary truth: somewhere, somehow, someone cared about their growth and development, this person was their mentor”.

Club Health Tracker

Since launching the Club Health Tracker last month, we’re excited to share that 12 clubs have already completed the process – a fantastic start!

Participating Clubs

• Bishops Stortford SC
• Brentwood SC
• Halstead
• Harpenden
• Leighton Buzzard SC
• City of Norwich SC
• Potters Bar SC
• Royston SC
• Dacorum DC
• Suffolk Coastal Torpedoes
• Team Anglia Masters SC
• Whittlesey SC

These clubs have found the tracker to be a valuable tool in assessing their strengths and identifying areas for growth.



Why use the Club Health Tracker?

It’s a simple, supportive way to reflect on your club’s operations, helping you plan for a stronger, more sustainable future.

Not started yet?

Join the growing number of clubs making use of this tool.

East Region Welfare

Welfare Officer Toolkit

A Guide for Welfare Officers

This guide has been developed to support Welfare Officers involved in aquatics to provide essential resources, guidance, and support for you in your role. The welfare and safety of all participants in aquatics is a shared responsibility, and this page is dedicated to ensuring that Welfare Officers have the tools and knowledge they need to fulfil this vital role.

This page serves as a central hub of information to ensure Welfare Officers are well-informed, prepared, and supported in fulfilling their responsibilities. From managing disclosures of abuse to supporting emotional wellbeing, your work is at the core of effective safeguarding across the sport.

East Region Workshops

Time to Listen Workshops



There are still spaces available on two Time to Listen Workshops 

The following Time to Listen Workshops are available to book via the SE East Region website

Monday 6^th October 2025 at 7pm

The workshop is a mandatory requirement for Welfare Officers.

Team Manager Workshops

The Team Manager Training is written by Swim England and is delivered face to face by accredited SE presenters online.

This year the region had organised 11 Team Manager 1 workshops with a total of 440 available spaces and 3 Team Manager 2 workshops with a total of 120 spaces available.

We ask that clubs plan their Team Manager requirement in advance to ensure they have the required number of Team Managers for upcoming events and camps. You can book a workshop here

The last Team Manager 2 workshop for 2025 is online on Thursday 25^th September at 7pm, if your club is planning overnight stays and needs TM2’s between September and January 2026 please ensure you book a place 

Team Manager 1 Workshop

5th September at 6pm

16th October at 7pm

10th November at 7pm

Team Manager 2 Workshop



25th September at 7pm

If you have booked a place and can no longer attend, please email bookings@swimming.org

Good Governance

Get support in your committee role by attending one of Swim England's role-specific workshops.

The sessions for the Chairman and Welfare officer are mandatory for the role. If you have already attended a session this year, there's no need to attend again however, it is recommend attending a session every 12-18 months.

Qualifications 

East Region-Based Qualifications:

12445 Swim England Assistant Swimming Coach - 19/08/2025 - Brentwood Centre

12445 Swim England Assistant Swimming Coach - 20/08/2025 - Brentwood Centre

13653 Swim England Assistant Swimming Coach - 22/08/2025 - Runnymede Leisure Centre

13654 Swim England Assistant Swimming Coach - 22/08/2025 - Inspire: Luton Sports Village

117cpp14 Swim England Assistant Diving Coach - 04/09/2025 - Parkside Pools

12458 Swim England Assistant Swimming Coach - 24/09/2025 - John Warner Sports Centre

74ehu25 Swim England Swimming Coach - 29/09/2025 - Inspire: Luton Sports Village

284aqj55 Swim England Swimming Coach - 06/10/2025 - Riverside Leisure Centre - Norwich

James Salmon

Regional Manager

james.salmon@swimming.org

Jo Stalley

Regional Operations Officer

jo.stalley@swimming.org

Fran Vesztrocy

Regional Welfare Officer

fran.vesztrocy@swimming.org

Emma Winter

Regional Administrator

emma.winter@swimming.org

General Enquiries

east@swimming.org

+44 (0) 7583 694233

Regional Welfare & Safeguarding

eastwelfare@swimming.org

01509 640378