City of Derby Swimming Club

Click here for Club contact information

About the Club

The City of Derby Swimming Club was formed back in 1983, from the Derby Swimming Club, with support by the City Council. Since that time, the club has become a major competitive force on the Derbyshire, East Midlands and National swimming scene.

Based at the Queen's Leisure Centre, Cathedral Road Derby (click here for map) the club has over 500 members, with around 200 of them competitive swimmers, approximately 100 novice swimmers and over 200 non swimming (helpers and parent) members. Our membership comes from all sectors of the community, including disabled swimmers (one of whom has competed for GB in the European Deaf Games).

 

To provide the best possible calibre of swimming coaching, the Club retains one full time professional Chief Coach.

Two-time Olympian Mel Marshall has been Chief Coach at City of Derby since November, 2008. Mel is the most prolific English woman at a single Commonwealth Games, after her six-medal haul at Melbourne in 2006. Mel leads a team of nine coaches (click here for further details) and many volunteer Coaching Assistants. Our coaching staff are all ASA qualified and supported and encouraged by the Club to further their qualifications.

The club supports the Derbyshire ASA Performance Pathway and works closely with the Derbyshire Elite squad, Derventio Excel, to ensure that swimming talent is identified and developed to reach the maximum potential.

In Mel's first full year in charge, she transformed the squad structure (click here for further squad details) and increased the pool time. The Club structure currently supports swimming coaching sessions spread over 48 pool hours per week. This ranges from a swimming competitive tuition programme, through various squads catering for the development of young competitive swimmers, squads specifically geared towards the needs of Senior and Masters swimmers, to a squad of National standard swimmers.

Mel has also spearheaded a massive fund-raising drive. In 2009, a sponsored swim at Lonsdale Pool in Mickleover, and charity ball at Pride Park, home of Derby County FC, raised in excess of £20,000, to be split between the club and youngsters in Zambia (Project Zambia). Both events were supported by two-time Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington, City of Derby's own Olympian and two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ross Davenport, plus a string of other top names from British swimming.

 

 

'Glory Board'

Over the last few years, the club has cemented its position as the number one club in Derbyshire with a medal tally at the 2010 Derbyshire County Sprints Championship of 237 medals (94 gold, 74 silver and 69 bronze) and more than double that of the second placed club. This is a huge improvement over 2009 (itself a winning year) where we took 184 medals (78 gold, 45 silver and 61 bronze). We currently hold over 50% of the County records and regularly provide the majority of the swimmers for the County squad.

Every year we have several competitors at the ASA National Championships and many swimmers at the Midland District Championships.

On the National scene, our 'A' Team has competed in Division One of the National Arena Swimming League's West Midlands section since 1983 and qualified in consecutive years for the National B Final in 2010 and 2011, a feat which places the club in the top 20 nationwide. City of Derby also runs a 'B' Team in the National League, which is in West Midlands Division Three North.

The club also competes in the Derby and Notts Junior League, for swimmers aged 12 and under, and has taken part in three national finals, the latest in 2010. We also enter galas throughout the year, suitable for the whole range of ages and abilities to be found within our membership.

For all this success, it shouldn't be forgotten that the ethos of the club is for every swimmer to achieve what they are capable of with a smile on their face.

As well as Ross Davenport, club 'alumni' include Dean Milwain, who swam at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Stephanie Hill, who swam for Scotland in the Commonwealth Games, and Emma Smithurst, who represented Great Britain at the European Short Course Championships in December 2009.

 

 

 

 

 

The'Engine Room'

Within the Club membership are over 20 ASA qualified officials and numerous volunteer helpers with an in-depth knowledge and experience of organising and running all standards of Gala events adhering to ASA Laws. We host three major competitions each year (for further details click Club Meets):

• the ASA Designated Open Meet Gala held at Ponds Forge, Sheffield, where swimmers from all over Britain compete to try and achieve qualification for ASA National Championships. This is the only Designated Open Meet in Derbyshire.
• an Open Meet Gala specifically for Junior (aged 10 to 14) swimmers, for 'B' Grade standard swimmers
• an 'Age on the Day' Meet.

The Club is frequently called upon to host and organise Galas and Divisional Finals in the National and Junior Leagues. Numerous local inter-club friendly Galas are also held to cater for the full range of competing swimmers within the Club. In addition, most of the Club's organising officials are also involved in County events and some at Midland District level.

Several Club members are also on the County ASA Executive Committee and the Club boasts four past County Presidents within its membership, the latest of which was Ralph Shepherd (left) President in 2009/2010.

Members of the Club are also actively involved in the English Schools Swimming Association and National Diving Championships events, which on two previous occasions have been held at Derby.

 

 

Contact Information

You can get in touch with us by email at info@coderby.co.uk or,

to find out more about joining City of Derby SC, or to arrange an informal trial, contact Christine Brocklehurst:

1 Jackson Avenue
Mickleover
Derby
DE3 5AS

Tel: 01332 605101

Contact our Chairman

Contact for Open Meet Information

Contact for Meet Officials

 

Back to top