Congratulations to Joseph who was awarded Cub of the month for his positive attitude to training, performance in club championships & commitment to the friendly league team.

to Send St Christophers CoE High School to the National Championships. Four local swimmers from St Christopher’s High School in Accrington have put the school on the national sporting map by qualifying for the National Schools Swimming Championships. Students Ellamae Entwistle (Backstroke), Sarah Pearson (Breaststroke), Megan Hacking (Butterfly) and Layla Newton (Freestyle) recently secured a silver medal in the Medley Relay at the ESSA North West Championships held at Liverpool’s Wavertree Leisure Centre on the 6th Oct, recording a time of 2:14.34. After a nervous wait to see if their time would get them to the national stage, the swimmers recently received confirmation they had qualified for the event in 23rd place and they will now have the opportunity to showcase their skills at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Birmingham on the 18th November. The Birmingham venue is the same one that saw British stars such as Adam Peaty, Tom Dean, Duncan Scott and Freya Anderson slug it out with the world’s best at the 2022 Commonwealth games. Whilst the St Christopher’s students won’t be racing these elite racers, they will be competing against the giants of school swimming scene, going head to head with some of the nation’s top private schools, such as Repton, Millfield, Ellesmere College and Mount Kelly.This is only the second time St. Christopher’s have made it to the national stage and it’s a huge achievement for the school.Mrs Gleave from the P.E. department at St Christopher’s has commented “as a school we are proud of the girls, to post the 23rd fastest time out of 204 qualifying times is in itself no easy feat, and with them easily winning their heat in Liverpool, I think they are capable of an even faster time against stronger competition at the national finals”Layla, Megan, Sarah and Ellamae are no strangers to success as they all swim for local swimming clubs, representing either Great Harwood Otters or Clitheroe Dolphins at a regional level. Speaking on behalf of Clitheroe Dolphins, chairman Lee Scanlan said “It’s a huge achievement for the swimmers, the school and swimming in the area, and they should be proud. All four swimmers are talented and dedicated athletes who put in a lot of hours at the training pool with their clubs to reach the levels they have, and I have no doubt they will finish much higher than the 23rd place ranking they are entering at. The school championship coincides with a series of key meets both clubs are attending, so on the back of the preparation for those they should be in peak condition for the Championships.”“Both clubs have done a great job developing swimmers in the Ribble Valley and Hyndburn and as clubs we try to help each other as much as we can, so achievements like this make that hard work and collaboration worthwhile. Hopefully this is the start of a prolonged period of swimming success for the schools in the region. It is also a chance to show youngsters that swimming is a rewarding sport and good alternative to the mainstream sports people traditionally gravitate towards.”Great Harwood Otters Committee said “Achieving the finals of the School’s Championships, is a huge achievement, for not only the swimmers and school but for their local swimming clubs. It goes to show that with all their hard work and dedication to train long hours, it has paid off in the best possible way. By attending external galas from such a young age, it has given them the confidence to be able to swim on a national scale. This is something we are extremely proud of and we are certain that they will do their absolute best making everyone super proud!” “Over the years both ourselves and Dolphins have worked extremely hard to build on swimming within our local area and this can definitely be seen here. We strive as a club to work together and to celebrate all areas of success and achievement. This enables children to see where their hard work may take them. As well as, giving swimming its own platform to show how brilliant it is. Overall, Great Harwood Otters are extremely proud and wish the girls good luck!”For those interesting in finding out about competitive swimming both, Gt Harwood Otters and Clitheroe Dolphins are looking for keen swimmers to join their squads. To find out more you can contact them on:Clitheroe Dolphins – www.clitheroedolphins.co.uk/contact-us/Gt Harwood Otters – http://otters-swimming-club.co.uk/contact-us/