About Us — Founder Story

22 Sept 2026

Welcome to Love to Swim – East London's Independent Swim School

Love to Swim is an independent East London swim school providing high-quality, small-group swimming lessons for children and adults.

Established in 2010, we deliver lessons across East London, including Newham and Tower Hamlets, from a range of hotel, school and residential swimming pools.

We are a Swim England registered swim school offering mainstream and specialist swimming provision, including children's and adult lessons, autism and SEND swimming, female-only swimming and adult and child sessions.

Our focus is on experienced teachers, individual progression and creating positive swimming experiences that help people build confidence, develop skills and enjoy swimming for life.

Our Story

My dad taught me to swim. He learned from his older brother, in the Thames, during the Second World War — my grandad was away fighting, and my nan wouldn't have the family split up and evacuated. So they stayed in Wapping, playing on the bomb sites, and that's where my dad learned to swim.

By the time it was my turn, lessons had moved from the river to the pool. I was talent-spotted at school and went on to swim competitively for Tower Hamlets Swimming Club, then nationally and internationally. Teaching was the natural next step, and from there I moved into management — running programmes rather than just lessons.

In 2009 I left my job as a regional coordinator. In 2010, I started Love to Swim.

Swimming has been in my family for four generations, in this part of London, the whole time. That's not a marketing line — it's just where the school comes from.

In 2023 I completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme, and I'm still part of that alumni network today. In 2025, Love to Swim was runner-up at the Newham Business Awards for Staff Training and Development. In 2026, I won Business Owner Excellence of the Year at the Tower Hamlets Women's Awards.

Lesley Green, Founder 

Why Choose Love to Swim?

Small groups, real progress Our small-group approach gives swimmers more individual attention, feedback and support than is often possible in larger classes. Our children's lessons follow the Swim England Learn to Swim Programme, while our specialist programmes allow swimmers to progress at a pace appropriate to their individual needs.

Inclusive by design We believe swimming should be accessible to everyone. Our approach combines high-quality teaching with smaller groups, supportive environments and specialist training where needed, helping more people feel confident and comfortable in the water.

Experienced teachers Our lessons are delivered by qualified swimming teachers, supported by ongoing training and development in swimming teaching, water safety, SEND and neurodiversity.

Developing the Next Generation of Swimming Teachers

Through our Swimming Teacher Training Pathway, Love to Swim supports aspiring teachers to gain recognised qualifications alongside practical experience and mentoring.

The pathway helps create opportunities for local people to develop careers in aquatics while strengthening the future swimming workforce.

Our Community Work

Love to Swim has two parts: the commercial swim school, and the Community Interest Company, which works with schools, local authorities and community organisations to reduce barriers to swimming and increase participation.

Our community programmes are designed around local need and have supported children, adults and families who may otherwise find it difficult to access swimming opportunities. Funding through the CIC has supported our Teacher Training Pathway above, our autism-friendly programme, and getting our teachers autism-certified.

Our Values

Commitment – dedicated to every swimmer's progress, safety and confidence.

Consistency – providing a structured and supportive learning environment.

Quality – investing in skilled teachers and high standards of tuition.

Love – creating positive swimming experiences that encourage people to enjoy swimming for life.

Learn to Swim ~ Love to Swim

Managing Your Lessons

Your Home Portal keeps everything in one place — achievement records, online booking and payments, and one account for all family members.