CoursePro has announced a new partnership with the Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA), naming the organisation its Charity Partner of the Year and launching the CoursePro Learn to Swim Fund, an initiative focused on improving access to swimming across the UK and Ireland.
The fund will run for 12 months and is designed to help remove financial barriers, enabling more children and individuals to access high-quality swimming lessons.
The initiative comes at a time when the sector is facing increasing challenges. Many children are still leaving school unable to swim, while rising costs are driving higher drop-off rates and limiting access to lessons. Operators continue to report strong demand, but affordability is becoming a growing constraint for families.
Through the Learn to Swim Fund, CoursePro will work alongside STA and its network of swim schools and leisure operators to subsidise or fully fund lessons, with an initial focus on school swimming and early-stage learners.
Running from April 2026 to March 2027, the fund will be supported by matched contributions from CoursePro.
Kris Baughan and Lauren Cunliffe, who are leading the initiative at CoursePro, said:
“We’ve been thinking about how we can play a more meaningful role in the industry beyond our technology. Access to swimming is becoming increasingly unequal, and this is a practical way for us to work alongside STA and our customers to help remove some of those barriers.”
Dave Candler, STA’s CEO said:
“As an educational charity and a national governing body for swimming, STA is committed to improving access to swimming lessons and ensuring more people, of all ages and abilities, and from all backgrounds, can benefit from learning this key life skill.
We are delighted to be chosen as CoursePro’s Charity Partner of the Year, and to be working together on the Learn to Swim Fund. This is a positive and practical initiative that directly supports our aim, helping to reduce financial barriers and extend opportunities to those who may otherwise miss out.
It also reflects a collective commitment to increasing participation and supporting the long-term sustainability of the sector.”
As part of the wider partnership, CoursePro will also support industry initiatives in 2026 such as STA’s Ripple Effect campaign, which focuses on improving access to swimming by addressing workforce shortages and creating pathways into teaching.
This partnership reflects a growing need for collaboration across the sector to address shared challenges around access, participation, and long-term sustainability.
To support the Learn to Swim Fund, visit: visit here
About CoursePro
CoursePro is a leading sports course management platform used by over 1,000 swim schools and leisure operators worldwide, supporting bookings, payments, reporting and customer engagement.
About STA
The Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA) is an international governing body for swimming and lifesaving, promoting water safety, participation and high standards of teaching.