'Exciting' changes are to be made at a leisure centre.

The manager of Bridport Leisure Centre's swim school has shared her vision for 2018.

Virginia Stewart, who has worked as an instructor at the centre for 10 years, progressed to swim school manager in 2015 and was instrumental in the relaunch of Bridport Swim School in May 2017.

She hopes to get every child in Bridport confident in the water.

Bridport Swim School - based at the leisure centre, which is a registered charity - will be incorporating water safety courses across the board to all of its current members, ensuring that all students are water confident and aware in the lead up to the holidays.

These sessions will be held before Easter - between March 19-24 - and then again between July 2-7 in the lead up to the summer holidays.

Virginia said: “I am a people person and the favourite part of my job is working with the children and the people that I meet. My mission it to get every single child in Bridport to love water as much as me, whilst at the same time being aware of its dangers. I also aim to get all of our local pre-school children into the water, to enjoy it and have fun through games and songs and to start to swim."

To achieve here goal, Virginia is focussing on improving communication at the school.

“Our resolution for 2018 is to improve and extend our communication with the swim school parents, who are just as important to the swim school as their children," she said.

Virginia says she has a real infinity with the water and has a lifelong love of swimming, something she has passed on to her own children. She took her children to swimming lessons and all three went on to play water polo and swim competitively. Her daughter Hattie is currently a Level 2 swim teacher at the centre.

Virginia will be holding poolside open sessions to meet with parents and answer any questions they have. This will take place during all swim school sessions on the second week of the month, starting on Monday, February 4.

An inclusive swimming gala and water polo tournament will be introduced for all swim school members this year, as will a Rookie Lifeguard Course which will be open to all students achieving Stages 8, 9 and 10.

For more information about Bridport Swim School, call Virginia on 01308 426905.