Swimming is more than just a sport: it’s an essential skill that could even be life-saving. However, taking part in lessons at the local swimming pool isn’t an option for everyone. For Muslim women, most swimming pools don’t meet their cultural needs, with 43% saying that sports facilities aren’t appropriate for them. A report from Swim England shows Muslim women have the lowest sports participation rate of all ethnic groups. Without the right facilities, Muslim women can’t overcome these barriers to access and gain the confidence and wellbeing benefits that come from learning to swim.

This is what our Swim Hours community programme hopes to change. In collaboration with Trafford Leisure and WETA (a community organisation supporting women’s mental health and wellbeing), Deep Green’s programme will fund swimming lessons for Muslim women who live near our Manchester data centre.

Designed for the community’s needs: how our Swim Hours programme works

Deep Green’s funding will support one year of weekly 30-minute swimming lessons for 12 Muslim women, starting in June 2026. “Many of the women on the cohort have never been to a pool or tried swimming before,” Razia Shaikh-Patel, Director of WETA, explains. The group will be split into beginners and improvers, with the option for beginners to progress to the improvers class after six months. “Our mission is to engage, educate and empower our communities,” Razia says. “These women can also move on to train as swimming instructors and become a role model and example for others, thanks to  Deep Green’s support.”

“Muslim women would not go to a mixed space for swimming because of modesty reasons,” Razia explains. Because of this, the programme will be led by a female instructor and female lifeguards, and will take place at Stretford Leisure Centre, which has female-only changing rooms and curtains around the pool to ensure privacy. It’s also the closest of Trafford Leisure’s pools to Greater Manchester’s largest demographic of Muslim women, making it as easy as possible for all participants to reach the swimming lessons. 

From learning to swim to planting trees: our Manchester data centre is also funding tree planting events for the local community.

Learning to swim supports wellbeing, boosts confidence, and grows community

As well as being an essential life skill, swimming also has varied health benefits. It’s a low-impact, full-body workout that targets every muscle group, and leaves you feeling better mentally, too. “Ultimately, it improves your mental health,” Razia says. “Whether it’s stress or you’ve just got a lot going on, movement is a new medicine. Moving and swimming definitely help; they're therapeutic, too. And if  you can learn to swim, you tend to fall in love with it.”

For Muslim women specifically, the benefits of learning to swim go further. With the majority of the Swim Hours cohort never having been to a pool before, creating a judgement-free environment where they can see themselves represented strengthens the idea that swimming is for them too, promoting “Desi Women Can”. Once the women become familiar with the swimming pool at Stretford Leisure Centre, the hope is that they’ll try out other facilities, too. Fran Cunliffe, General Manager at Trafford Leisure, explains that the programme’s aim goes beyond teaching the women to swim. “We want the women to feel comfortable and confident in this environment,” she says, “and to feel supported by the team here at Trafford Leisure.” 

Beyond the individuals in our cohort, the benefits of the programme could extend to more Muslim women in Greater Manchester. The participants’ enthusiasm and growth of confidence will hopefully inspire other women in their community to try out swimming, creating a ripple effect of participation. 

Deep Green’s funding makes a tangible community impact

Thanks to Deep Green’s funding, there’s no cost to Trafford Leisure or the participants. “It takes the pressure off,” Fran says. “The money really helps us.” As well as breaking barriers to participation and creating representation for Muslim women in the pool, the programme will make a tangible difference to these 12 women’s lives. “Ultimately, what we want is for these women to be able to learn a skill over the course of one year, and see the difference from day one to the end,” says Fran. Want to stay updated about the impact of our Swim Hours programme? Become a part of the Beyond Good community.