Nathanial Cole and his partner founded Swim Dem Crew in 2013 to break down barriers and get Black people in the water. Surveys conducted by Swim England in 2021 showed 95 percent of Black adults and 80 percent of Black children don't know how to swim. Only 2 percent of Black people in England swim regularly, and Cole wants to bridge this gap with his initiative.
"We just want to bring community to the water because swimming is a solitary kind of thing and the more people we have in the water learning together the better," says Cole. Various factors contribute to people of colour not knowing how to swim, including an intense fear of water, socioeconomic challenges, and the age-old generational issue of no one learning the skill.
With fun and engaging swim lessons, Swim Dem is tackling these challenges one swimmer at a time. There was a spike in interest in the initiative during the lockdown, and for good reason. People were looking for ways to recharge, combat mental health problems, and break generational curses – many turned to swimming.
Classes are held in London with occasional sessions outside of the city in Summer and Autumn. A drop-in session costs between £5 and £10, and a three-month course is between £150 and £250.