Back in December, we were invited along to the first ever Small Business Awards run by Stafford MP Leigh Ingham, held at the Stafford College Institute of Technology.

We won. Twice.

We came home with two awards.

Swimwell won the Beauty, Lifestyle, Leisure and Wellbeing category, and then took home the overall Business of the Year title too. We genuinely weren’t expecting that second one.

The evening brought together 20 shortlisted businesses from across Stafford, Eccleshall and the surrounding villages. Hundreds of residents had nominated their favourite independents, with a panel of local business leaders choosing the winners. Knowing that people took the time to put our name forward means a lot.

Small Business Minister Blair McDougall was there on the night to meet finalists and hand out the awards, alongside MP Leigh Ingham. 

Having that level of recognition from people whose job it is to support small businesses across the country wasn’t something we took lightly.

When Julie started Swimwell back in 2014, it was a couple of hours a day in a small private pool. Now we’ve got 15 members of staff teaching hundreds of children every week across Staffordshire. That growth didn’t happen overnight, and it didn’t happen alone. It’s happened because of the families who trust us with their children’s swimming lessons, week after week.

So, thank you. To every family who’s ever booked a lesson, recommended us to a friend or nominated us for this award, this one’s for you.

Want to join us? Book your child’s first lesson here