Free swimming lessons

for children and young people from serving Royal Navy, Royal Marines, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary families.

Find out where you can swim

Check if your family is eligible

Free swimming across the UK

Where can you swim?

We are delivering free lessons to the Royal Navy community through our partner centres across the UK, launching in Lympstone, Devon.

New location options will be added frequently, so if you can’t find anything nearby right now, subscribe to our mailing list to receive updates as new lessons dates and swimming centres become available.

Sign up to receive Swim Free updates

Our lessons follow the Swim England and Scottish Swimming stages

Not sure which stage you should book your child or young person onto? Check out our handy guide to see the requirements for the Swim England and Scottish Swimming stages. And if you’re still not sure, please get in touch.

Contact the Swim Free team

It’s a perfect sport
for any level of fitness

Swimming enables children of all abilities to be more active and can improve their physical health, keeping their lungs and heart healthy. And just like riding a bike, once your children learn how to swim, it’s a skill they keep for the rest of their lives.

Swimming is a sport that teaches essential life skills

Drowning is still one of the most common causes of accidental death in children*, so being able to swim is an essential life-saving skill. It’s important to remember that children who appear water confident are not always competent swimmers.
*Source: Swim England

It’s rewarding, inclusive, challenging and fun!

Children gain a self of accomplishment and self-belief as they progress through the stages. It’s a great way to socialise and heaps of fun! Swimming is also one of the most accessible sports for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Swimming opens doors to more opportunities on the water

Eligible children and young people can also take part in the RNSA Youth Crew programme, a free initiative funded by Greenwich Hospital that teaches young people how to sail. During the programme, children can gain globally recognised sailing qualifications through the life changing experience of learning to sail.

Discover the RNSA Youth Crew

Supporting the Royal Navy community

Who is eligible?

Children and young people from serving Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary families can access free swimming lessons through Swim Free.

At the time of booking we will ask you to provide proof of eligibility by entering the parent or guardian’s active personnel service number.

Find out where you can swim

Frequently asked questions

Your questions answered

Swim Free has been created to provide free swimming lessons for children and young people from Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary families.   

Learning to swim is an essential life skill for young people, but also supports and helps them maintain positive mental health, grow their confidence, resilience and willingness to try new things – all while keeping active.   

Swim Free also provides an opportunity for young people, partners and spouses to build new friendships and support their sense of belonging within the Royal Navy community.  

Swim Free is funded by Greenwich Hospital and delivered in partnership with the Andrew Simpson Foundation.

Each young person will receive funding for one block of 12 lessons. The subsidy will be automatically applied when booking for the children of serving Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel.

Find your nearest delivery centre to make a booking.

Swimmers can join lessons at whichever point in the Swim England or Scottish Swimming Learn to Swim Pathway their current ability is aligned to.

You can use our Swim Stage Finder Tool to guide you on booking the right stage for your swimmer.

Places are exclusively offered to children of serving Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel. Young people must be booked using their parent or carer’s active service number.

If you have any questions before booking, please speak to our team on enquiries@swim-free.org.uk.

Yes. Swim Free is inclusive for all young people who qualify under our criteria of being the child of serving Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel. We are able to support young people with additional needs, including those who are neurodiverse.

Please speak to us before booking if you think your child will require additional support, so that we can ensure they have the right level of assistance, and their individual needs are met during their lessons.

If you are experiencing transportation or access barriers, please speak to us directly, as we may be able to help.

We are frequently adding new locations to the Swim Free programme, so if you can’t find anything nearby right now, sign up to our mailing list to receive updates as new centres and stages become available.

Sign up to our mailing list here.

Yes. Funded by Greenwich Hospital and delivered in partnership with the Royal Navy Sailing Association, the Andrew Simpson Foundation delivers free sailing to children and young people of serving Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel.

You can find out more about the RNSA Youth Crew here.

If you would like to speak to us before booking, or to talk about an existing booking, please contact our Swim Free Outreach Team on enquiries@swim-free.org.uk.

Stay in the loop

Register for email updates

We are regularly adding more lessons, stages and swimming locations. If you would like to receive email updates, please sign up with your details below.