Brown Gal Can’t Swim: City Council helps BBC presenter to get South Asian women swimming

Summaya Mughal (left) and Alice Dearing (right). Image: Charlie Firth

Nottingham-born BBC presenter Summaya Mughal has been learning to swim at Active Nottingham pools in a bid to encourage other South Asian women to take the plunge.

Active Nottingham, part of Nottingham City Council, has supported her during her journey which she starts sharing on air this week. Her five-part series looks into learning to swim at the age of 27 and explores why many South Asian women are less likely to swim.

In revealing that she couldn’t swim, Summaya exposed the cultural barriers that she faced and how it has affected her both physically and mentally. As part of this journey, Summaya has given other members of the South Asian community the confidence to take their first steps into swimming.

As a result of her campaign, Summaya was honoured at the Nottingham Awards 2022 last week for her work in the Voluntary and Community Sector. Meanwhile, Active Nottingham, Nottingham Swim School and the council’s school swimming department have been honoured at the recent Swim England Teaching and Education Awards.

The series titled ‘Brown Gal Can’t Swim’ sees Summaya learn to swim in just eight weeks at Active Nottingham swimming pools, supported by Nottingham Swim School swimming teacher Victoria Charles. Olympians Rebecca Adlington and Alice Dearing also provide support and guidance and set Summaya additional challenges including a 500m open water swim – will she do it? You’ll have to listen to the podcast to find out.

Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis, said: “We’re thrilled to be a part of this project with Summaya and the BBC to help raise awareness and showcase the importance of learning to swim within South Asian communities. This campaign will go a long way to help break down barriers that people face when it comes to swimwear, changing rooms, and going swimming itself and help get more communities involved in swimming.

“Active Nottingham and Nottingham Swim School are proud to have helped Summaya learn to swim over the past eight weeks and it was great to see her face the 500m open water challenge at Spring Lakes.

“Summaya has also worked with the black swimming association to challenge the lack of representation of black and Asian people in both recreational and elite swimming – she also engaged with Olympic swimmers Becky Adlington and Alice Dearing in her campaign, who both set her challenges for Summaya to complete.

Her work with diverse communities is second to none, both engaging and empowering!”

The Brown Gal Can’t Swim podcast is available on BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p0ctzgft It will also be broadcast as a series on BBC East Midlands Today from Tuesday 11 October 2022.

A to Z of Nottingham Swim School

Ever wondered why swimming is regarded as one of the most beneficial activities for young people?

Look no further than our A–Z of Nottingham Swim School to understand why.

Active –  Children who are active are happier, healthier and more able to learn.  Increased activity is essential for a child’s development.
Butterfly stroke – They’ll learn the skills to swim this more complicated of strokes during their lessons.
Competitiveness – Swimming is great for developing positive competitiveness as each child strives to achieve the next badge or move through the stages.  If they join a swimming club, they’ll experience competitive teamwork too.
Diving – Knowing how to safely launch yourself headfirst into water is a skill taught during swimming lessons.
Energy – Swimming builds your child’s muscles and lung capacity, giving them more energy to achieve.
Free stuff – All Nottingham Swim School members receive free access to all of our public swim sessions across the city! They also get a swim hat on joining and at each new stage reached too!

Graduation – As each skill is perfected your child will graduate, receiving badges, medals and certificates of achievement.
Health – Swimming is great for your child’s heart and circulation, providing natural, low-impact resistance to build muscle and release those happy endorphins.
Intelligence – Holding your breath can reportedly increase intelligence levels as swimming is the best exercise for building lung capacity, which improves the ability to take in more information.
Joints – The natural support and resistance provided by water means swimming is a fantastic activity for developing strong joints.
Kick – Each swimming stroke has a different style of kick, and your child will master them all by the time they reach Stages 8-10 of our Swim School.
Lifesaving – Being able to swim is a real lifesaver and after all the key skills have been achieved your child can train to become a rookie lifeguard too.
Motivation – Motivational instructors will ensure your child gets the best from their weekly lessons.
No equipment necessary – Apart from a swimsuit, there’s no expensive equipment needed to swim.

Open to all – Some of our pools offer specialist sessions for children with a disability or additional needs. Some also host lessons for older children and adults.
Portal – With our Swim School portal you can track your child’s progress and move class when they’re ready.
Quality time – Whether you’re in a pool or by the seaside, swimming is a great opportunity for parents and children to bond, sharing quality time in otherwise busy lives.
Related sports – Being able to swim gives opportunities to try other sports like water polo, surfing, competitive diving or even triathlon.
Safety – Safety is an essential part of learning to swim and your child learns to be aware of hazards in and around water.
Training – To become a competent or advanced swimmer, training is essential, providing your child with a routine to follow that will set them up for life.
Underwater skills – Between stages 8 and 10 children learn underwater skills like synchronised swimming.
Vitality – Swimming’s benefits for physical and mental well-being mean your child will have more vitality and vigour.
Weight – Water is around 800 times denser than air, so your child will burn more calories, keeping your child at a healthy weight.
X-Factor – Swimming is such a great sport for health, well-being, social skills and mental attitude, your child will develop the X-Factor to help in all aspects of their life.
Year-round activity – Come rain or shine, winter or spring, swimming can be enjoyed at any time.
Zzz – Swimming uses huge amounts of energy, so your child will sleep better after exercising.

For more information visit Nottingham Swim School or visit your nearest leisure centre.