Leicester family joins Swimming industry to urge families to put down screens and pick up goggles

A Leicester family join swimming industry to urge families to put down screens and pick up goggles.

• National governing body Swim England and Leicester City Council bid to reconnect families in real life in Love Swimming initiative
• Leicester family the Shahs have taken part in a month-long challenge to swap screen time for swim time
• British children are now spending 15 hours a week online according to Ofcom

Supported by national swimming governing body Swim England and Leicester City Council, Hina and Ilesh Shah and their two children have committed to putting down their screens and spending time at their local swimming pool once a week.

Hina said: "This has shown me that there is far too much technology constantly on the go in our house, which inspired me to take on the Love Swimming challenge. We've put down our screens once a week for the past month and gone down to Evington Leisure Centre to spend time together at the pool

"It's been great to see the kids engage more with each other in their weekly swimming sessions and I definitely want to join them more often. Ilesh has also been inspired – he's signed up to a learn-to-swim course so he can join us too."

Ilesh added: "As a dad, this has really opened my eyes to how much we use our screens when we are together as a family. Getting the chance to spend a few hours every week together meant family time is far more about quality time. It's great to see the kids enjoying each other's company so much and it's been very rewarding to see the effects connecting us more as a family unit."

In the digital age, children are spending a great deal of time on their screens and, at a time when we are never more connected to the world via the internet, families have revealed they have never felt more disconnected within the family unit.

Reflecting the Shahs' experience in the month-long challenge, Swim England, Leicester City Council and eight other partners from the swimming sector around the country have released an impactful film featuring a real family illustrating 'Because their console doesn't work underwater' to drive home the message that real-world connection has significant advantages over digital immersion, with the pool providing a complete escape from the digital world – one of the few places where families cannot take a console compared to other family activities.

The swimming industry is encouraging people across the country to get off their screens and back into family fun by putting aside technology once a week and instead visiting their local pool to enjoy spending time together, being active and reconnecting in the real world.

In a 2017 OnePoll survey, almost 9 in 10 people agreed gadgets get in the way of spending quality family time together, with families only spending 36 minutes together on an average weekday.

Seven out of 10 parents even recognised there are times when they could be spending time with their children, but are busy playing on their phone or tablet instead.

Ofcom's 2017 Annual Report announced the internet has overtaken television as the top media pastime for British children, who are now spending 15 hours a week online, while the Children's Commissioner is encouraging parents to give children time to switch off and get moving.

Love Swimming is aimed at the one-third of people for whom, according to Ofcom, there is 'general acceptance' of families sitting in the same room but all on different screens and gadgets to watch a TV show, catch up on social media or play a game.

Jane Nickerson, CEO of Swim England and Swim Group Chair, said: "Families are spending less time together in this day and age. When they are together, they are often watching TV or gadgets individually rather than being active.

"Through our new Love Swimming campaign, we are encouraging every family to put down their screens and dedicate a window every week to going down to their local swimming pool to spend quality time together, having fun and being active.

"We're calling on mums, dads, children and grandparents to find their nearest pool and rediscover the enjoyment of interacting and reconnecting as a family."

Whether it's the kids playing on their console, Dad in front of the TV and Mum online, now more than ever families say they want to spend more time disconnected from their screens and reconnected as a family. Dedicating a window every week to swimming together creates a precious opportunity to do just that, according to Swim England and the Love Swimming partners.

Customers can visit the Swim England pool finder tool and find out more information about their nearest pool and how they can easily swap screen time for swim time.