“We just needed the right environment”: The culturally-safe swim sessions empowering women in Newport

And this is where good communication comes in. Newport Live does everything it can to put a female lifeguard on duty for these sessions. When they are very short-staffed and it isn’t possible, they contact the group to let them know in advance that the lifeguard will be male and the women can decide whether to come along or not.

“In an ordinary swim session, we feel judged for covering up.”

The women wear burkinis in the pool which covers their arms, legs and heads. Tahirin grew up in Pontypool and would wear pyjamas bottoms and a t-shirt to go swimming when she was a child:

“Other kids would stare at me and I was bullied. Now, I wear a burkini so we like to be with likeminded women because we don’t feel judged for what we wear.”

Jotsna is Engagement and Partnership Officer for KidCare4U. 

“We have gone from spectating to swimming.”

While most women in the group used to swim when they were young, they later had to settle for simply watching their own children have a splash, never able to jump in themselves.

It’s a familiar story for Salaha, who now has two grown up daughters:

“I used to watch my children swim but I’d never get involved. However, now I’ve been swimming regularly, twice a week, thanks to these sessions that are organised for us.”

“It’s time in the week for us.”

The women in the group are housewives and are busy with family commitments.

As Jotsna explains, “The women don’t have a chance to look after themselves. They recognise they need to look after their health but they always put the needs of their families first. Many of the husbands work nights, perhaps in hospitality or doing late taxi shifts, which puts pressure on the women in the day in terms of childcare as the men need to sleep.

“These sessions are important because this is an opportunity in the week for women to put themselves first. They know they need to look after their health and now they can.”

“Swimming is improving our physical and mental health.”

“My worries wash away in the pool. I forget everything.” That’s Fahima. She smiles: “All the work I need to do, my worries for my children, my family – it all disappears for the hour. I can just think about me.

“I didn’t used to like the water but I have pushed myself and now I see the benefits. My body feels lighter and younger.”

Salaha cares for her husband, which is physically demanding. She was struggling with arthritis in her knees and shoulders but finds the swimming sessions have relieved the pain:

“I always feel so much better after a swim. It really helps with the stiffness. We relax and afterwards I feel great and so light. This is time for me and it’s important for me to be fit and healthy so I can look after my husband. 

“It’s free so there’s no cost barrier”

With funding from the Be Active Wales Fund, KidCare4U and Newport Live can offer the swim sessions free of charge.

“The fact that the session is free encourages many women to come,” explains Jotsna.

And Ayesha adds: “If it cost a few pounds, they’d spend the money on something else like the weekly shopping bill.” 

In fact, across Wales 33% of women are doing less sport and physical activity because of the cost of living. That’s compared to 25% of men (Wales Activity Tracker April 2025).

“It’s a chance for us to socialise.”

The swim sessions are not just for exercising. They are also a chance in the week for women to come together and have fun.

“We’re always so excited to get in the pool,” laughs Ayesha. “In the water, we sing and we dance, sharing songs and traditional dances from our countries.”

Shahara says: “I used to swim as a child back in Bangladesh. I stopped when I got married and had children. I couldn’t go to mixed sessions so there was no opportunity for me. Now, I’m like a seal. I like to go underwater. I feel like a child again – we sing, dance and laugh. I didn’t used to leave the house much but I go out more now. My confidence has increased and the best part of the week is swimming.”

“Good relationships and trust are so important.”

Rusna is the CEO of KidCare4U and when asked why this project has been such a success. 

Some communities are often described as hard-to-reach. But they are only hard-to-reach if we don’t reach out and listen. As Ayesha adds:

“Inside, we’ve always wanted to do everything, just like anyone else. We’ve been wanting to swim but we just couldn’t find the right environment. We are so grateful to KidCare4U, Newport Live and Sport Wales because these sessions mean the world to us.”

It just goes to show that listening (really listening) to our diverse communities, getting the right people on board with a project and communicating openly and honestly can lead to new, life-changing opportunities that make a big difference.

“There’s more we still need to do to encourage women from diverse communities.”

“While the session is free, transport is still an issue. Many women are from deprived communities and have no way of getting to a pool so there’s still lots we need to work on,” explains Jotsna.

Want to make a splash in your community?

The women of Newport are proof that inclusive, culturally sensitive sport can transform lives.

If your organisation has an idea to support women in sport, the Be Active Wales Fund could help you make it happen.