Held in Solihull, the festival brings together children and young people with vision impairments from across the UK for a day of fun, achievement and friendly competition in the pool. The event, formerly known as the National Youth Swimming Gala, has been running successfully for more than 20 years and offers opportunities for swimmers of all abilities, from those building water confidence to experienced competitors.

As always, our NCW students did a fantastic job. Most importantly, they embraced every challenge, pushed themselves to try new things and cheered one another on throughout the day. The event was a wonderful celebration of participation, perseverance and teamwork.

Students also had the opportunity to meet Paralympic swimmers Rebecca “Becky” Redfern MBE and Matt Redfern, who shared their experiences of competing at the highest level and offered valuable advice about competitive swimming and pursuing sporting goals.

Swimming is a popular activity at NCW and events such as the BBS Junior Swim Festival provide a fantastic opportunity for young people with vision impairments to develop confidence, improve skills and enjoy being part of a wider sporting community.

Jane Price, Head of PE at NCW, said:

“The British Blind Sport Junior Swim Festival is always one of the highlights of our sporting calendar. It’s fantastic to see our students challenge themselves, build confidence in the water and support one another throughout the day. The event provides opportunities for swimmers of all abilities, and I was particularly proud of the way our students embraced every activity, encouraged their peers and represented NCW so positively. Meeting para-swimmers and learning about their journeys was an added inspiration for everyone involved.”

We are incredibly proud of all the students who took part and represented NCW so positively. Well done to everyone involved! 🏊‍♂️👏