The Black Swimming Association has been nominated for the National Lottery Good Causes Project of the Year after developing a partnership with Sport Wales.
The BSA officially launched in collaboration with Swim England in March 2020 and is the first organisation working to promote the education of communities of African, Caribbean and Asian heritage on water safety, drowning prevention and the benefits of aquatics through water familiarisation and orientation programmes.
The BSA is working with Sport Wales to, in partnership with Swim Wales, make swimming and other aquatic sports more ethnically diverse, the first time a project has focused on this issue in the nation.
The partnership includes a community engagement post, sharing and development of ground-breaking research, and the implementation of sustainable community-led programmes.
The BSA was co-founded by Alice Dearing – who became the first black female swimmer to represent Team GB at the Olympics when she competed in the open water in Tokyo – BBC journalist and former City of Cardiff swimmer Seren Jones, Ed Accura – who starred in and produced the film ‘Blacks Can’t Swim’ – and Danielle Obe, inventor of swim scarves – nemes – that protect the hair.
Jones said:
“We are extremely thrilled to be named as a finalist for this year’s National Lottery Awards Project of the Year.
“Being safe in and around water is a right that we believe everyone in Wales should enjoy.
“With the help of the National Lottery, we aim to continue upscaling our Together We Can water-orientation and familiarisation programme throughout the UK and into Wales, with an aim to promote water safety education, improved lifestyles and essential lifesaving skills.”
The BSA is among 17 projects to be nominated with entries open until 7 October.
i am a swimmer in Miami and headed to the keys this weekend for swim to alligator lighthouse..9 miles open water swim….i have been swimming for more then 20 years and really enjoy the meditation and peace it brings…at the swimming hall of fame in ft lauderdale, bruce wigo showed me an exhibit of african swimmer who were the greatest…last week I meet cullen jones the first black man to win gold in swimming for USA…more of us need to swim and enjoy the benefits of current…in the beginning the spirit hovered over the water!!! thxs for sharing and keep strokin baby!!