Update to members on Out to Swim structure
This short paper is intended to update members on the progres we are making towards a new Out to Swim structure which supports the geographical clubs to operate successfully as part of their local Swim England regions and counties as well as the work we do together to support the aims and objectives as a national movement and charity. As a recap, in addition to the important principles that our members are able to practise aquatic activities where they live and to continue building on the legacy of Out to Swim across the country, our new structure will enable a clearer distinction between clubs which effectively and safely deliver day-to-day aquatic activities and our charity and club council which will focus on the things we want to achieve as an Out to Swim ‘family’. This is shown in the simple before and after diagram below.
New clubs
It is a huge achievement for Out to Swim and our members in Bristol and Brighton & Hove that two new clubs have been approved by Swim England and our membership renewed into these new clubs.
Having achieved this step change in our approach, Trustees have enacted the new bye laws agreed by members at our last annual meeting.
Swim England have been hugely supportive of our approach and have even recommended we create a single national club (what they call a ‘directly affiliated body’) under which all members of the new clubs will have a second claim (and without an additional membership fee). Therefore, we are currently going through the process of applying for a new London club and, when this is complete, the original club will become the national club.
We will ensure that the implications of the introduction of new clubs will not be felt by members of the club in terms of their day-to-day participation in aquatic activities.
Next steps/actions
We will submit an application for a new London club based on the draft constitution supported for the Bristol and Brighton & Hove applications and which we recommend sharing with London members at their dedicated annual meeting/s
When complete, we will work with Swim England to support moving our existing club to a single ‘second claim’ national club. To effect this in our byelaws, we have agreed the following amendment as part of section 3: ‘3. A Club is defined as one or more Disciplines meeting in a geographical location of England governed by a Club Committee elected from the membership of the Discipline(s)’. In the case of membership of the national club, the single club which allows members of any local Out to Swim club a ‘second claim’ to participate together, this will only be permitted if a member is first a member of a local Out to Swim club.’ The previous byelaw did not include the last sentence.
To minimise overlap and duplication in meetings, Trustees will prepare the ground-work to establish a new Club Council meeting and this will meet once every two months in the first instance and will include a representative from each Aquatics Club and each Discipline offered by OTS.
We will begin preparing for the work of the new local clubs, so they are supported to deliver an effective aquatics programme which brings benefit of our national club without adding unnecessary process and bureaucracy. Trustees are mindful that there will be further work to do when we fully transition including ensuring that we continue to benefit from operating collectively where possible and locally only when necessary (and this relates to how we face Swim England in particular), have a clear approach for policies and procedures being adopted by both national and local clubs and that we address any necessary data protection issues through our online systems.
Out to Swim Trustees and Club Committee
6 February 2023