Swimming Classes at Puddle Ducks Bristol and Bath

Spot the Puddle Duck!

A big thank you to my lovely friends Toni and Luisa for baking me this wonderful “Puddle Ducks” birthday cake - Sarah.

Posted on 28th July 2010

Puddle Ducks staff celebrate the start of the summer!

A big thank you to our very own Steve for hosting our end of term staff party. The team met at Steve’s in Portishead to a) admire the new decking he has built (excellent job Steve!) and b) discuss plans for the new Autumn term.

It was a great evening with some happy news – a big welcome to Catharine our new administrator and a big congratulations to Tina, who is now officially both a Super Teacher for our area and Deputy to Ali, the Puddle Ducks UK Technical Director. There was also some sad news as we said goodbye to Kerry and Lisa, our poolside assistants at Plush and Sheiling School. Thank you and good luck to you both.

We are all really excited about the new Autumn term. The office is buzzing with new enquiries and we are launching some new after school classes in the Autumn (Wednesday at Parson Street School in Bedminster and Friday at the Club at Cadbury in Congresbury). We also have a brand new Dabblers class on Saturdays in Thornbury.

We wish you all a fabulous summer and look forward to seeing you back in the pool in the Autumn (term begins w/c 6^th September).

Posted on 28th July 2010

Splashathon Thank-you

We would like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who took part in our Splashathon this term. It was great fun to see so many of you in the pool in your PJ’s.

We were raising money for Tommy’s charity, and I am delighted to tell you that we raised a brilliant £226.91 in donations at the pools, and this doesn’t include any sponsorship money that you may have raised individually! If your little one has raised sponsorship money, and you haven’t done so already, please send it directly to Tommy’s. Instructions on how to do this will be found on your sponsorship form or at www.tommys.org.

Thank you so much for your generosity and I’m sure that this money will make a big difference to families who rely on the support from Tommy’s.

Details of our total money raised will be posted in the Autumn.

Posted on 28th July 2010 by Jo Stone

Splashathon 2010 - lets try to save tiny lives- w/c 14/6/2010

We are delighted to announce we will once again be supporting Tommy’s, the baby charity by taking part in their annual event, Splashathon. We will be hosting a Pyjama Party in their honour!

What is Splashathon?

• Tommy’s Splashathon is a national, community based event, that encourages parents to take their babies and toddlers swimming, whilst also raising funds for Tommy’s, the baby charity

• Hundreds of swim schools, swimming pools and individuals around the UK hold a Splashathon event each year in May and June

• Splashathon is for parents with babies and young children

• Participants raise sponsorship money for their ‘Splash’ by undertaking a challenge.

The event has been running for 11 years and has successfully raised over £800k in total for Tommy’s work.

Who is Tommy’s, the baby charity?

Tommy’s exists to save babies’ lives because right now in the UK one in four women loses a baby during pregnancy or birth. We fund research at our centres in Manchester, London and Edinburgh and provide information on the causes and prevention of miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth. By 2030 we want to halve the number of babies who die during pregnancy and birth. For further details please view the tommy’s website www.tommys.org

When will it take place?

The 2010 splashathon will take place in all Puddle Ducks lessons week commencing 14th June 2010. Each child will do something special during the lesson according to the age and ability of the children in the class. Your teacher will be able to advise you on what this may be. All children (and parents in the water) should wear pyjamas. The focus will be on lifesaving.

The challenge we have selected for this very special swimming lesson is £5,000. The top local fundraiser will receive a free £20 swimming voucher. In addition the charity is offering a bumper pack of swimwear worth £200 for the top fundraiser across the UK and a fun prize for those who raise over £50 and send it in before 31^st August.

How do I take part?

If you would like to get involved, great! All you need do is log on to www.splashathon.org to create your own personalised online sponsorship page for your Puddle Duck, clearly stating Puddle Ducks Bristol and Bath as the name of the swimming school. You can then email to family and friends for them to sponsor him/her securely on line. No need to carry around paper forms and chase outstanding sponsors!

If you would like a paper sponsor form just pick one up from your pool, or you can order one from www.splashathon.org.

Lets help make a difference this year, helping Tommy’s save tiny lives.

Any Questions? Please contact us as normal.

Further information »

Posted on 17th May 2010 by Jo Stone

Bristol and Bath train up two more Amazing Baby Swim Teachers

New baby swim teacher Becky

We're feeling very lucky at the moment. Two wonderful new teachers have joined our team - having passed their Puddle Ducks training with flying colours. Sarah caught up with them after their training......

Where and when did you hear about Puddle Ducks?

Becky: An ex-colleague who is now a Puddle Ducks teacher told me about Puddle Ducks on Facebook.

Charlie: I heard about Puddle Ducks from Jodie who was already a teacher. Jodie was in my ante-natal group and we kept in touch after our sons were born and she told me what a fab job being a Puddle Ducks teacher is.

What did you do before training to become a teacher?

Becky: I used to be Cabin Crew for a major airline until I decided I wanted to keep my feet on the ground so then retrained to be a travel agent.

Charlie: Before I had Robbie I was a Sales Manager for a property company. After I had Robbie I trained to become a Swimming Teacher and began teaching older children to swim. I also worked as a Poolside Assistant for Puddle Ducks before I decided to take the plunge and train to become a teacher.

Why did you decide to train?

Becky: I wanted to start a new career but wanted something fun and that would fit around my young family.

Charlie: To be totally honest, I wanted a job that would fit around taking care of my family. I wanted a job that was daytime, part-time and term-time only and that paid well. It was also really important for me to find a job that I would really enjoy and that was lots of fun.

What was the hardest thing about the training?

Becky: Being away from my husband and three small children. The training was really intensive but I coped as I had such a great bunch of people around me.

Charlie: Leaving my son Robbie for seven nights was really difficult but the training programme itself was extremely intensive. The days were very long and after spending all day in the classroom it was really hard to then find the energy to jump in the pool and continue training in the evenings. There was just so much to take in.

What was the best bit about the training?

Becky: Meeting all the other Puddle Ducks people. The trainers Ali and Tracy were both lush (they all laughed when we said “lush” – it’s such a Bristol word!). Their enthusiasm and passion really rubs off on you!

Charlie: Definitely passing the course! I also loved the fact that I was with a great bunch of people who all worked together as part of a team. I’m used to just being Robbie’s mum so it was great to be doing something for myself.

When you are not getting wrinkly in the water, what do you like to do?

Becky: I am currently training for the Bristol 10K run in May, but also love going to the cinema, reading and meeting up with friends.

Charlie: When I’m not looking after Robbie, I love to find time to relax and just put my feet up and watch TV. I’m really into keeping fit too and am often out for a run or a swim.

What are you most looking forward to now?

Becky: I can’t wait to start teaching my own classes. It’s so lovely to see how the Puddle Ducks children relate to our teachers – I just can’t wait to get to know my babies and children and ultimately encourage them to become amazing little swimmers.

Charlie: I’m most looking forward to teaching my own classes and just getting on and doing it!

Posted on 24th March 2010 by Tracy

Underwater Photo Shoot

Dates for our next underwater photo shoot

Does your child love it underwater?

An underwater photograph could be an ideal gift for a family member!!

Remember forever how confident your little one is in the water.

The next session is on on Sunday 28^th March at our Clifton High School from 1pm - 4pm. Bookings are being taken now.

The booking fee (non-returnable and payable to Puddle Ducks) will be £40 and there will be a maximum of 5 children in the water for the 20 minutes session. There will be one teacher in the water submerging the children and a second ensuring that the session is run as much like a normal class as possible aiming to make it a fun and enjoyable time for all.

You are welcome to book more than one sibling for each session fee, but your photographing time will be split accordingly.

There will be time to take several photographs under water, providing your child is willing and able.

Your class teachers will be able to advise if your child may be photographed underwater.

Photograph prices start from £25 and prompt photograph orders made in the two weeks following the shoot will qualify for a massive 20% discount. The full pricing structure can be found here.

Please see our photography page for more information. To book your slot please send a cheque for the £40 booking fee (payable to Puddle Ducks Bristol & Bath) to the address above.

Posted on 22nd March 2010

Baby Swim Business Wins Three Major Nominations for National Awards

Puddle Ducks are thrilled to have been nominated in three categories in the ‘What’s on 4’ 2010 Awards:

1) Best National Baby & Toddler Development Activity (newborn to 2 years)

2) Best National Pre-schooler Development Activity (2 to 5 years)

3) Most Outstanding Activity Leader for the Under 5s (Ali Beckman)

These awards are voted for by parents across the country – last year Puddle Ducks reached the finals and we are so excited about the possibility of winning a category this year.

PLEASE VOTE for Puddle Ducks now!

Posted on 15th March 2010 by Jo Stone

Splashathon 2009 results

Congratulations to all the Puddle Ducks who took part in the 2009 Splashathon held in June. We managed to raise a fantastic £7,900 for Tommys across our franchise network.

We'd like to thank all those who donated. We exceeded our target of £5000 and next year we hope to raise even more.

We will shortly be announcing our top fundraisers.

Thanks again

Posted on 12th November 2009

Fun photos of your Puddle Ducks!

One of Tina Gue's photographs

Next month our fabulous photographer, Tina Gue, will be visiting our classes to capture you and your children having fun on the water! Tina specialises in informal photography using a mixture of natural light and flash to create individual and unique black & white and colour photographs. This will be Tina’s third photo shoot with Puddle Ducks and you can see just a few examples of her work in our “Photo Gallery”.

If you would like Tina to take photos of your child during their class, please ask your teacher or poolside assistant for a photo form which you will need to complete and return before, or at very latest, on the day of the photo shoot. Photo shoots begin after half term during weeks commencing 2^nd and 9^th November. Specific dates are listed on the photo booking form and please be aware that Tina will only visit each class once, so please make sure you’re at the pool when she visits.

You will be able to view your photos online by 23^rd November and if you order prints before 29^th November you will get one print free if you buy three prints of the same size. This could be your Christmas presents sorted!

Posted on 19th October 2009

Dates for our next underwater photo shoot

Does your child love it underwater?

An underwater photograph could be an ideal gift for a family member!!

Remember forever how confident your little one is in the water.

The next session is on on Saturday 24th October 2009 at our Sheiling School from 2pm - 5pm. Bookings will be taken from 21st September.

The booking fee (non-returnable and payable to Puddle Ducks) will be £30 and there will be a maximum of 5 children in the water for the 20 minutes session. There will be one teacher in the water submerging the children and a second ensuring that the session is run as much like a normal class as possible aiming to make it a fun and enjoyable time for all.

You are welcome to book more than one sibling for each session fee, but your photographing time will be split accordingly.

There will be time to take several photographs under water, providing your child is willing and able.

Your class teachers will be able to advise if your child may be photographed underwater.

Photograph prices start from £25 and prompt photograph orders made in the two weeks following the shoot will qualify for a massive 20% discount. The full pricing structure can be found here.

Please see our photography page for more information. To book your slot please send a cheque for the £30 booking fee (payable to Puddle Ducks Bristol & Bath) to the address above.

Posted on 15th September 2009

Get fit for summer

Sarah - happy to be training!

Local Personal Trainer, Miro Caminade, is offering Puddle Ducks customers the chance to tone up, get fit and lose some of that excess weight that so many of us carry after having children. He will visit you in your home, or you can go along to the gym at the Grand Thistle Hotel and use their excellent facilities. Sarah at Puddle Ducks says, “I’ve just started going to PT sessions with Miro and I have to say it makes such a difference having somebody to push you those few extra paces that I wouldn’t do if I was working out on my own. I’ve got a holiday planned for the summer and want to tone up and lose a few pounds so I’m confident that with the help of Miro I will achieve it.”

Miro is offering all Puddle Ducks customers a free consultation and first free session. Contact him on 07828 419537 or email step2fitness@live.co.uk.

Posted on 8th July 2009 by Jo Stone

Congratulations to our new teachers!

Jodie, Sarah and Tina - our FAB new teachers

Puddle Ducks have three new teachers joining the team from September 2009. Sarah, Jodie and Tina have all successfully passed their Puddle Ducks training which includes passing the Swimming Teachers Association (STA) Baby and preschool swimming qualification and the National Rescue Award for Swimming Teachers and Coaches. Thanks to our brilliant new teachers there are lots of new classes starting this Autumn including Monday and Saturday classes in Thornbury, South Glos; Wednesday mornings at the Grand Thistle Hotel in central Bristol and Wednesday classes at the Plush Hotel (near Bristol Airport). If you’re looking for a class for your baby or toddler get in touch as we are taking bookings now!

Posted on 30th June 2009 by Jo Stone

Puddle Ducks makes you smile

Puddle Ducks makes you smile

Take a look at our video "Puddle Ducks make you smile" on You Tube. Its impossible to watch without smiling .......

Posted on 24th June 2009 by Jo Stone

Splashathon 2009 - lets try to save tiny lives- w/c 8/6/2008

We are delighted to announce we will be supporting Tommy’s, the baby charity by taking part in their annual event, Splashathon.

What is Splashathon?

• Tommy’s Splashathon is a national, community based event, that encourages parents to take their babies and toddlers swimming, whilst also raising funds for Tommy’s, the baby charity

• Hundreds of swim schools, swimming pools and individuals around the UK hold a Splashathon event each year in May and June

• Splashathon is for parents with babies and young children

• Participants raise sponsorship money for their ‘Splash’ by undertaking a challenge.

The event has been running for 10 years and has successfully raised over £800k in total for Tommy’s work.

Who is Tommy’s, the baby charity?

Tommy’s exists to save babies’ lives because right now in the UK one in four women loses a baby during pregnancy or birth. We fund research at our centres in Manchester, London and Edinburgh and provide information on the causes and prevention of miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth. By 2030 we want to halve the number of babies who die during pregnancy and birth. For further details please view the tommy’s website www.tommys.org

When will it take place?

The 2009 splashathon will take place in all Puddle Ducks pre-school lessons week commencing 8th June 2008. Each child will do something special during the lesson according to the age and ability of the children in the class. Your teacher will be able to advise you on what this may be. The challenge we have selected for this very special swimming lesson is £5,000. The top local fundraiser will receive a free £20 swimming voucher. The top three local fundraisers will receive a free pair of children's goggles. In addition the charity is offering a bumper pack of swimwear worth £200 for the top fundraiser across the UK and a fun gift for those who send sponsorship money in before 31^st August.

How do I take part?

If you would like to get involved, great! All you need do is log on to www.splashathon.org to create your own personalised online sponsorship page for your Puddle Duck, clearly stating Puddle Ducks Bristol as the name of the swimming school. You can then email to family and friends for them to sponsor him/her securely on line. No need to carry around paper forms and chase outstanding sponsors!

If you would like a paper sponsor form just pick one up from your pool, or you can order one from www.splashathon.org.

Lets help make a difference this year, helping Tommy’s save tiny lives.

Any Questions? Please contact us as normal.

Further information »

Posted on 12th May 2009 by Jo Stone

The Crossman Jones Family Swimmers!

Proud Alisdair

Our teacher, Paula Crossman Jones - once a competitive swimmer herself, has something to be seriously proud about. Her son, Alasdair, who is 12, has qualified to represent Somerset County in two events, 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke. He also narrowly missed out qualifying for 200m freestyle by 0.5 of a second and 200m backstroke by 0.9, and was 2 seconds off the 200m Individual Medley. This is the first time he’s qualified and he’s looking forward to competing in June against competitors from the whole of the South West. Well done Alisdair! I wonder if there’s time for Paula to get some of her Puddle Ducks to the 2010 Olympics?!

Posted on 18th May 2009

We are a finalist in the Whats on for Little Ones Awards 2009

Thank you so much for your votes, they have all counted.

We are pleased to announce that we have been voted finalist in the Whats On for Little Ones Awards for

- Best National Toddler Development Activity

For more details, please click here.

Many, many thanks – watch this space!

Posted on 3rd February 2009

Puddle Ducks Comes to Town!!

We are delighted to announce that classes are now available at the Grand Thistle Hotel, right in the heart of Bristol.

Sarah, of Puddle Ducks says “I’m thrilled to start working at The Grand Thistle Hotel from June this year. The hotel has such a lovely pool and in a fabulous central location.”

Dan Jackson, Leisure Club Manager said, “We are looking forward to building a strong working relationship with Puddle Ducks. Our facilities are perfect for young families and we hope that our partnership with Puddle Ducks will encourage more families into our Leisure Club and Hotel.”

Classes begin on Thursday 4^th June between 10am and 12 noon. To find out more about our classes click here . To find out more about The Grand Thistle Hotel visit http://www.thistle.com/hotels/bristol .

Posted on 5th May 2009

Bristol and Bath team update lifesaving skills

From left to right Sarah, Kerry, Roz, Paula

Earlier this year, some of the Bristol and Bath team completed the National Rescue Award for Swimming Teachers and Coaches.

The course covers first aid, CPR and water rescues. Franchise owner, Sarah said, “It is mandatory for Swimming Teachers to have lifesaving skills, however, we decided it would be useful for our Poolside Assistants to learn these skills too. Of course, we hope they will never be called upon, but it’s good to know that more members of the team have these essential lifesaving skills in the event of an emergency. Well done team and thanks for giving up your weekend!”

Posted on 23rd February 2009 by Jo Stone

VOTE FOR US at whatson4littleones.co.uk

Do you love your Puddle Ducks classes? We are pleased to announce that we have been nominated in the Whats On for Little Ones Awards for

- Best National Baby Development Activity

- Best National Toddler Development Activity

- Best National Preschool Development Activity

Why not click here to place your vote for Puddle Ducks in all three categories, it will only take a minute.

Many, many thanks – watch this space!

Posted on 3rd February 2009

New teacher at Plush

Huge congratulations to Paula who has successfully completed the Puddle Ducks baby, toddler and pre-school swimming training course. Paula, who was a competitive swimmer herself and currently teaches swimming to children from ages five and upwards, will begin teaching at Plush in the new year and can’t wait to get started!

Posted on 8th December 2008

Plush Discount for Puddle Ducks

Plush Hotel near Bristol have been kind enough to create a special “Shoppers Sleep-over Package” for all members, friends and family of any Puddle Ducks swimming classes.

For a special rate of £99 per room per night you can shop until you drop (perhaps in the fabulous Cabot Circus), then relax in the evening with a complimentary bottle of wine or a visit to the luxury pool and jacuzzi complex.

Terms and conditions apply, and please mention promotional code XMAS08PD when you book.

Contact Plush Hotel at www.plushhotel.co.uk or call 01934 862410

Posted on 8th December 2008