Our Water Wellbeing funding and support helps community access pools to become more accessible to inactive people, particularly older people and adults with long term health conditions.

Swimming and pool based activities have a significant positive impact on peoples physical and mental wellbeing with swimmers reporting feeling on average 6.4% healthier than non-swimmers – this is comparable to feeling 12 years younger.

It seems to particularly benefit women, more than doubling their self-confidence, and has a been shown to significantly reduce symptoms of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression

The activity is low impact making it more suitable for older adults and adults with physical long term health conditions too – supporting cardiovascular fitness, strength, and balance, reducing the risk of falls, obesity, and chronic conditions like heart disease.

By working with us you ‘ll be helping to reduce health inequalities by breaking down cultural, and physical barriers that have been stopping people taking part.  Making your pool and venue more inclusive and accessible, you’ll be improving physical activity levels, water safety, and overall well-being in your local community.

Up to £3850 is available per pool, and the funding can be spent on training and development, equipment and subscription costs related to delivery of an aquatic health programme.

It’s important that any application is clearly focused on and can evidence what’s needed in the local community.

Water Wellbeing applications can be submitted from November 2025.

Gaining accreditation is a three-step process.

1. Reviewing your pool and wider site and making any changes that are needed to create an inclusive customer experience.
2. Designing a local aquatic health programme and applying for funding to deliver it.
3. Demonstrating the impact of your aquatic health programme.

Join us for a launch event on 21st October. We’ll cover the different phases of water wellbeing accreditation and how to apply. We’ve worked with Swim England to expand the options available for how the funding can be used. We’ll talk through some options to help with inspiration, including:

• Good Boost – individually tailored aquatic programmes using technology, for use by individuals or groups
• Mental Health swims
• SEND swimming provision
• Outswimming Cancer
• GP Aquatic Referral
• CPD and training for staff around accessibility and long term health conditions

You may even come up with your own programme design. You can choose how to use the funding, but the programme needs to be based on what your local community needs, and you’ll have evidence to support it.

Water Wellbeing Hampshire and Isle of Wight is funded through a partnership between Energise Me, Hampshire County Council and Isle of Wight Public Health.

Water Wellbeing accreditation is a product of Swim England and their delivery partners.

The funding is not available to privately funded commercial organisations. The Water Wellbeing accreditation can still be achieved by contacting Swim England Directly.