Name: Swim Sista Swim - International Women's Day
Start: 2026-03-04T19:45:00+00:00
End: 2026-03-11T20:30:00+00:00
Location: Victoria Leisure Centre

Swim Sista Swim - International Women's Day

A water safety programme for Black women to learn to swim, lets Float to Live. Made possible with funding from Sport England.
About this Event

The Canal & River Trust launched a new initiative to help members of the Black community in Nottingham feel more confident around water. Research shows that spending time by water can help people to feel happier and healthier so it’s hoped that the project will deliver long term health and wellbeing benefits to those taking part.

We have secured funding from Sport England to deliver our Swim Sista Swim programme, which will give Black women in the city the opportunity to learn how to swim in a protected, safe environment. This programme will give people the confidence to spend more time by water and take part in other water-based activities.

Black women are underrepresented in the water-based wellbeing activities run by the Canal & River Trust and, according to the World Health Organisation, statistically the Black community is at greater risk of drowning.

The aim of the project is to gradually build confidence in and around water so that women feel safe by water and actively want to spend more time by Nottinghamshire’s waterways.

One known barrier is constantly being told that Black people can't float, this is a myth and we are changing this narrative. Everyone floats and we all float in different ways, join us for our International Women's Day "Float to Live" sessions bringing even more water confidence to our Black community.

Dates & Time