Chairman's view 

Mission statement.    

“To become a club renowned for it’s quality teaching, fun and family atmosphere, striving for competitive success and bringing a lifelong love of swimming to all.”

To me, one of the greatest joys of being a parent is imparting knowledge to my children and, through their friends and class mates, to other people's children too. Whether at school rocket days, film clubs, mountaineering expeditions or simply looking for imaginative and engaging ways to help learning through homework, I love it.

As my children got older and started joining clubs I was able to watch them learn from other adults - I will never forget watching in amazement as Sol, my eldest, responded to being taught to swim at this club called Otters he had just joined. It was almost electric; as if somebody had switched on a button inside him - a button I didn't know existed. As the years passed the same happened with our second child, Luc - and it dawned on me that children actually need other adults as well as their parents and teachers. And that need in them and the corresponding giving by other adults is a fundamental principle of a healthy community. It helps round our children off as good human beings - as well as teaching them to swim, climb, build rockets, play rugby or whatever.

Otters is not unique - I see and feel the same watching the boys being taugt rugby at the Wootton Bassett Rugby Club by the volunteer coaches there - and there is something special about the energy, the passion, the devotion which the volunteer teachers, coaches and trainers dedicate to my children which is humbling - and I will never forget it. Thank you- all of you. It is what makes our community.

And so I started pondering what I could put back in return? I swim like a brick and in any case am travelling home from London when most of the training sessions are scheduled. But one thing led to another and finally Dave Page persuaded me to become club Treasurer in late 2009 taking over from Richard Kelloh who had dedicated years to the role and, as a professional accountant, had done a fantastic job for the club (thank you Richard).

But my accountancy is worse than my swimming and a better solution was reached this year when Jenny Howells took on the arduous task of Treasurer leaving me to be elected as Chair following the standing down of Tim Magness after many dedicated years of service to tne Club.

Tim is going to be a hard act to follow. If I can perform the role half as well as Tim did then I will be pleased.

Becoming Chair sadly coincided with the loss of swimming provision here in Wootton Bassett following the Lime Kiln pool fire last Christmas and it has been a difficult year. We are only still swimming because of the dedication and determination of those same coaches and trainers I mention above - in both securing us a new venue at Next Generation and in being prepared to travel there and back two, three, four times a week to teach our children - and again, I can only underline my appreciation of their effort.

Next month however Wiltshire Cabinet decides on the specification of the new sports campus and we will discover whether the intense lobbying we have undertaken has paid off. We are hopeful of a six lane main 25m pool with a smaller training pool and we will keep you posted on this web site.

So, I look forward to 2012. There is a saying which goes "it takes a village to raise a child" and it is one of my favorites. I am proud of the coaches, teachers and trainers we are so lucky to have here at Otters - but they are stretched and we always need more volunteers - either teaching or helping pool side or on the administritive side. If you feel you can be part of the club in any way, shape or form, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Rob Doran

Chair, Wootton Bassett Otters

November 2011