Who are we?
We have been established for a long time, and are currently growing at a fast pace. We aim to meet the needs of all our swimmers and create an environment where we focus on the unique qualities of the individual and especially celebrate disability. We attract swimmers from across the region, and have close links with related organisations such as Bambers Inclusive, local schools and colleges, community groups and national disability specialist organisations such as Open Water and Level Water.
Chair – Nicola Bamber
I’m a mum of three grown up children, who knows how difficult it is to find the right activities, in the right setting, for disabled children. I’m a retired Chemistry teacher with MS, and I’m a qualified swimming teacher and a Team Manager. I’m also an Open Water Swimmer.
Treasurer – Liz Stagg
Secretary – Samm Lewis
I’m a Chemistry teacher who is also a competitive para-swimmer, and a qualified teacher and coach.
Head Coach –Ellie Bamber
I’m an occupational therapist, and also a competitive para-swimmer, and open water swimmer. I’m qualified as a swim teacher and coach, specialising in disability swimming.
You can follow me on X (Twitter) @EllieTheOT and on Instagram @EllieTheOT
Bambers Inclusive
Many of our members learnt to swim with Bambers Inclusive, which is a very smooth transition as we currently share a pool! The swim school is disability-focussed, using teachers who are experienced and well-qualified.
For more information, visit their website: www.bambersinclusive.com
Club Affiliation
The club is accredited by Swim England. This means that we are compliant with the highest standards of safe and effective practice set by Swim England. Our swimmers and their families can be confident that the club is well run and our staff have the necessary safeguarding checks and appropriate qualifications in place to ensure members’ safety. We have public liability insurance via Swim England to cover all our activities.
The Committee
The club is run by a committee of volunteers which is elected each year at the Annual General Meeting. The AGM is held in January. The committee consists of a Chair, a Treasurer, and a Secretary and other members. The purpose of the committee is to ensure that the club is run legally and is financially sound. Each position has a job description which details the roles and responsibilities of the post holder. If you are interested in volunteering your time to support the club, please talk to the Chair.
The History of Manchester and North West Disability Swimming Club
Our club has a really long history and we’re very proud to have contributed to the joy and achievements of many swimmers. Some have won gold medals and some have achieved personal goals, and we celebrate them all equally.
Dame Sarah Storey MBE joined our club, after her first club told her at the age of 10, that she had “started training too late to be any good at anything”. We’re glad she didn’t listen to this poor advice and instead came to train with us! Within four years, having been talent-spotted, she reached the Paralympics in Barcelona 1992. She then returned to Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, picking up a combined total of five gold, eight silver and three bronze medals. She then switched to cycling in 2005 where she used all her athletic skills and performance to win on the cycling track and become the most successful British Paralympian of all time.
During lockdowns our club membership dwindled and we considered closing the club completely. However, the determination of the Bambers and their supporters meant that we decided to begin from just three members to the current level of growth. We’re now big enough to be looking for another pool session, enabling our members to get classification with us as their main club.
