A NEW mum was so keen to get her newborn signed up for classes with the North East’s leading swim school that she called from the maternity ward – hours after giving birth.
Next month (Nov) PaddlePod will be opening two venues in Newcastle and North Tyneside, offering purpose-built pools and a whole range of other facilities and activities.
And the team behind the developments, which will be home for the classes run by Nemo Swimming and SwimNE, have revealed that the sessions are filling up fast – particularly from enthusiastic parents who want their child to be water confident from the youngest age.
Phil Groom, founder and director of PaddlePod and who set up both Nemo Swimming and SwimNE, believes it’s never too soon for children to learn to swim.
But he admits the call from the maternity ward was a first for the organisation.
“The lady contacted us and said she wanted to book her baby in for lessons,” he revealed.
“And when we asked her how old the baby was she told us he was just a few hours – he had literally just been born.
“Nemo babies have children from 0 to 18 months but this is definitely the youngest application we’ve ever had.
“We would normally suggest the baby is at least a few weeks old before introducing them to the water for the first time, but after that it’s all about helping them become confident and feeling at ease and ready to learn.”
The facilities at the two new pools – which will open in November – have already attracted youngsters of all ages, who can also enjoy a full programme of activities aimed at babies, toddlers and pre-school children, along with sessions for parents. 2
The pools – PaddlePod @ Newcastle at Silverbirch Drive and PaddlePod @ North Tyneside at New York Road, Shiremoor – will also offer a café, an activity room and play area which will be open to everyone.
For further information visit www.paddlepod.co.uk