Better are 'Best Swim School Provider of the Year'
Better - the nation's largest provider of school swimming lessons - has been recognised in a national award for inclusivity and impact.
STA’s 2025 STAr Swim School Provider of the Year (over 500 weekly participants) saw Better seeing off competition from Individuality Swimming and Swim Odyssey to lift the coveted trophy.
Better has 200,000 customers on swim school lessons each week - including adults and children. Better swim school is provided by charitable social enterprise GLL.
It's not the first time Better has seen success at STA Awards. In 2023, Better scooped STA Approved Training Centre of the Year.
Emma Lewis, GLL's National Aquatics Manager said:
"STA’s 2025 STAr Swim School Provider of the Year award cements our position as a UK leader in swim-school excellence and reaffirms our confidence in delivering high-quality lessons.
"Families can be confident that when they choose Better, their swimming lessons will be safe, progressive and fun.
"Swimming lessons aren't just about learning to swim, but also learning to be safe around pools and open water, understanding the float to live message and developing a lifelong love of the water".
The judges' commendation praised 'outstanding achievements in delivering learn-to-swim programmes and aquatics training over the last 12 months' and recognised Better's 'innovative and inclusive learn to swim strategies that have expanded the opportunity for people of all ages and abilities in their communities to learn a key life skill.'
The awards ceremony took place on Friday 17th October during STA’s National Conference in Derby with a keynote speech from Olympian Rebecca Adlington.
Emma Lewis added: "Winning the STAr Best Swim School Provider of the Year award is an incredible honour for every single member of the Better Swim School team. It recognises the education and passion that we bring to every lesson, every pool and every swimmer."
140 Better pools across the UK support learning to swim, recognising the importance of learning this life skill and supporting national campaigns of the Royal Life Saving Society during Drowning Prevention Week, and others.
Thought leaders GLL are at the forefront in developments in the swimming industry - including working on the new Swimming Teacher Qualification aligned to the updated CIMSPA Professional Standard from 2026, and providing expert voice on recruitment, training and workforce culture.
For more information, see https://www.better.org.uk/what-we-offer/activities/swimming