Sport Aberdeen has secured £2,000 in funding to deliver an innovative new swimming programme aimed at supporting women who have experienced abuse.

The charitable leisure trust has developed a six week swimming programme to support women who have experience some form of abuse. The project will now be rolled out as a pilot after it successfully secured funding from the Women’s Fund for Scotland, administered by Foundation Scotland.

It will be led by Sport Aberdeen with support from the Violence Against Women Partnership Aberdeen.

Commenting, Sport Aberdeen Aquatics Manager Dianne Breen said:

“The developed programme will consist of two  six-week swimming taster courses to enable women to gain confidence in the swimming pool.

“The one hour weekly session, taught by a qualified teacher, will teach women to swim and will be based on the individual needs and requirements of the women.

“Sport Aberdeen is  committed to creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives through sport and physical activity.

“Thanks to the funding secured from the Women’s Fund for Scotland, Sport Aberdeen and the Violence Against Women Partnership Aberdeen can now look forward to rolling out this innovative project.”

The Chair of Violence Against Women Partnership Aberdeen, Cllr Lesley Dunbar, added:

“We look forward to this being the beginning of some sport and physical activity partnership working with Sport Aberdeen.”