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.”

I first got involved with the Otters back in 1998, as most parents do, bringing their young children to learn to swim. And in common with most parents and members, I had no idea of the breadth of the Club and its activities. You may not be aware that we have Masters and Lifesaving sections, for example. I certainly had no idea of its ‘mission statement’ - to combine quality teaching and a fun, family atmosphere with competitive success, bringing a lifelong love of swimming to all its members.  

Having been on a voyage of discovery, and since last summer having extended that voyage in my role as Chairman, in my experience the Club balances those aims very well, and the end result is indeed a good atmosphere and a love of their sport for our many members as they develop.

I suspect many people do not appreciate the relative size of the Otters. With well over 300 members Wootton Bassett is one of the largest in Wiltshire! In fact, in the whole of the South West there are less than 20 clubs (out of more than 180) with more members than the Otters! And yet, run by a small band of dedicated volunteers, and notwithstanding some challenges, the Club continues to perform well in promoting, encouraging and teaching swimming.  

If the waiting list and social evenings are any indication, the Club is as popular as it has ever been. Which also brings it own challenges. Providing value for money for our members is only achieved by a substantial amount of hard work by the volunteers who handle all aspects of the Otters. This includes coordinators, coaching staff, helpers, committee members and parents alike. They deserve our sincerest thanks, since without their efforts our children would not be able to enjoy their sport. Our swimmers, who are a credit to the Club, also deserve thanks - I never fail to be impressed by their attitude, commitment and enthusiasm.  

Otters is on a sound administrative footing, providing what I believe is excellent value for money and with recent improvements in competition. But the club belongs to its members. The Committee is elected to run the club on behalf of all members. This in turn means that it is the duty of every member to support and participate in their club and to provide feedback to help it thrive and to deliver what members want. There is a lot more we can achieve, but we need to work at it together.  

Our ' Welcome Pack' provides a comprehensive view of the Club and what is available to members. All the information from the welcome pack is available on this site.  I look forward to meeting more of the members over the coming year, but if at any time you wish to discuss any aspect of the club please do not hesitate to contact me. 

Yours sincerely

Tim Magness - Chairman.