The Heart of SEN Swimming UK

SEN Swimming UK was created from the belief that every child deserves the chance to thrive in the water. What began with one little girl’s story has grown into a nationwide movement, helping children with Special Educational Needs build confidence, joy, and freedom through inclusive swimming.

Where Our Story Began

SEN Swimming UK began with our founders younger sister Lily who has Down’s syndrome. From her earliest days in parent-and-baby classes, Lily loved the water. She splashed, she played, she laughed, swimming gave her joy and freedom.

Time passed an as Lily's peers moved into higher stages, she was stuck feeling left behind. Frustrated and upset, she began to struggle, and eventually her parents made the difficult decision to stop her lessons.

Lily then tried one-to-one lessons, every new teacher would bring a different approach, but sadly most still didn't understand her needs. By the time she was 10, Lily still couldn’t swim or be safe in the water.

Our founder Troy knew something had to change. Determined to help, he trained as a swimming teacher and began teaching Lily himself. What started as support for his sister grew into Lily-Pad — a small swimming school for children with Special Educational Needs. Families came with stories just like Lily’s: children left behind or excluded because swimming wasn’t built with their needs in mind.

It soon became clear that Lily’s experience wasn’t unique — it reflected a much wider problem. That’s where SEN Swimming UK began.