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Caitlin Hill, seven, Emily Holliday, six, Charlie Coombes, seven and Shannon Hill, six.

A SWIMMING instructor is celebrating teaching thousands of children to swim over the past decade.

Dianne Hill, 56, from Oakenshaw will have been teaching at the Woodrow First School pool for 10 years in September at sessions set up by Redditch Swimming Club for children aged four and over.

Looking back at her time in the water, she reminisced about the lengths she went to starting up the group.

"We started off doing one night a week in 1997 and gradually we worked up to three nights a week," she said.

"We teach about 200 youngsters a year so over 10 years we've probably had about 2,000 children here and nearly all of them have learnt to swim.

"It's so rewarding to see their confidence grow and the learner pool is a great place to start as it's so shallow."

Mrs Hill started the group with Redditch Swimming Club coach Barry Ferguson after it was felt more youngsters were needed to move up into the older groups.

"It started well and just went from strength to strength. There is a great demand from parents," she added.

Asked about her fondest memory of the club, she said: "The first child I taught how to swim was terrified of the water but she got through and just before she left the club, she bought me a box of chocolates."

Steve Bridgman, Redditch Swimming Club committee member, said: "We think the Woodrow group does a wonderful job. I brought my youngest to swim here and now he swims professionally."

Mrs Hill thanked Woodrow First School and the other schools in Redditch for their support.

For more details about the sessions, call 459642 or visit www.redditchswim.org.uk

3:34pm Thursday 19th April 2007

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