The Tower Hamlets School Swimming Gala returned to Mile End Park Leisure Centre on 10 June, bringing together young swimmers from across the borough for a day of swimming, competition and achievement.

The annual event, which has been running for more than 60 years, saw 220 pupils from 13 local primary schools compete across 16 races, including backstroke, front crawl, breaststroke, butterfly and relay events.

A huge congratulations to Olga Primary School, who were crowned overall winners of this year’s gala.

Participating schools included: Bonner Primary School, Faraday Prep School, St Mary & St Michael Catholic Primary School, Olga Primary School, Culloden Primary Academy, Manorfield Primary School, Canary Wharf East Ferry, Canary Wharf Glenworth, Globe Primary School, St Saviour’s Primary School, St Pauls with St Luke Church of England Primary School, Chisenhale Primary School and The Aldgate School. 

Organised by the council and supported by Bethnal Green Sharks Swimming Club and Swim England, the gala celebrates swimming as both a competitive sport and an essential life skill.

It also plays a key role in identifying and supporting emerging local talent, with standout swimmers offered opportunities to train with Bethnal Green Sharks Swimming Club.

The event comes at a time of increased national focus on water safety following a number of national, open water incidents, reinforcing the importance of ensuring young people are confident and capable swimmers.

The council is committed to removing barriers to physical activity, supporting swimming pathways and tackling health inequalities. As part of this, it offers a free swimming programme for women and girls and for older adults. This has recently been expanded to include men aged 35 and over, alongside a new family swim offer that allows parents to bring up to two children swimming for free.

Councillor Minara Khatun, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Tourism, who presented trophies to the winners at the event, said:

“It’s fantastic to see so many young people coming together to take part in this year’s swim gala.

“Events like this celebrate not just competition, but also the effort, teamwork and confidence that swimming helps to build.

“Swimming is both an important sport and a vital life skill.

“The Swim Gala has been a key part of Tower Hamlets’ programme for decades and is a great example of how we can encourage children to stay active, build confidence in the water and develop skills that support their safety – especially at a time when 17 people have sadly lost their lives in water-related incidents this year.”