Community Activator (Swim Specialism)

Apprenticeship summary

The Role

Working directly with members of the public to plan and deliver a range of projects and activities within leisure centre(s) with the aim of increasing the participation of a variety of groups in sport and physical activity, with a specific focus on swimming and aquatics. These could involve:

• Extra-curricular swimming lessons for children, primarily in key station 1 and 2
• Supporting our swimming curriculum for schools
• Adult swimming lessons
• Swimming galas and festivals
• Pool inflatable fun sessions
• Water polo
• Aquatots parents and toddlers.

You’ll also support session setup, delivery, and pack down, encourage participation and positive behaviour, help adapt activities for all abilities and begin leading small groups as your confidence develops.

Key Responsibilities

• Providing additional support in the pool to children with SEND needs to ensure inclusivity of the programme.
• To support on organising community and competitive events.
• Supervise and support members of the public, ensuring their safety by complying with good health and safety practice.
• To interact positively with customers adopting a friendly and professional approach at all times.
• To support the Company’s commitment to providing a safe environment for children, young people ad vulnerable adults, ensuring awareness of the Company’s Safeguarding Policy, Procedures and Practice Guidance, and to be vigilant, reporting any safeguarding concerns without delay.

Day to Day Activities

• Supporting sessions during school hours, afterschool and weekends.
• Working across multiple sites (travel required to The Alan Higgs Centre and Xcel Centre in Coventry).
• Engaging with pupils in a fun and professional manner.
• Completing apprenticeship coursework and training.

What You’ll Learn

You’ll attend College one day a week and learn how to:

• Promote benefits of a healthy lifestyle and physical activity for individuals and communities.
• Encourage individuals’ participation, motivation and to change their behaviour towards sport or physical activity.
• Contribute to inclusive, safe and effective sessions.
• Plan, follow, adapt, and deliver session plans, based on participant needs and feedback.
• Use coaching styles for sport or physical activity sessions meeting the participants needs and motivations.
• Promote the benefits of a lifelong activity habit.
• Use techniques to build rapport with participants.
• Carry out the tasks required before, during and after a community activity.
• Support participants to overcome personal or societal barriers.
• Manage individuals’ behaviours within a group setting.
• Work collaboratively with services and other community organisations to run events that make the best use resources.
• Record and store data and information, in line with legislation and organisational policies and procedures.
• Use suitable digital technology to deliver targeted messages to participant groups.
• Adapt communication methods to meet the needs of participants and groups.
• Identify and respond to safeguarding concerns within own scope of role and in line with organisational protocols.

Requirements

• The ability to travel between locations.
• Strong swimmer.
• Competent in literacy and numeracy to Level 2 (GCSE Grade 4).
• You must have held residency in England for the last three years and have the right to work in the UK.
• Enhanced DBS clearance (will be undertaken if successful).
• Interest or experience of swimming and water safety skills.
• Determined and committed to learn and succeed.
• Commitment to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.
• Enthusiastic.

Skills

• Good communicator.
• Well organised and adaptable.
• Able to use initiative.
• A good team player.
• Able to adapt approach to meet needs of the target group.

Progression

You may choose to stay within a community setting and work your way up to becoming a more senior coach, or work in the leisure industry, with career options in leisure management or sports development. Alternatively, if you prefer working with younger people, you could become a teaching assistant who specialises in PE. You could go on to study the following qualifications:

You can pursue specific coaching qualifications within your chosen sport to become a high-level coach. If you’re interested in working within a school setting, this can be a natural progression.

A Level 4 Sports Coach Apprenticeship would allow you to develop more advanced coaching skills and potentially specialise in a particular sport or type of coaching (e.g., high-performance, community, or school pathways).

About this Employer

CV Life provides the opportunity for Coventry residents and visitors to have an improved experience of sport, culture and leisure within the city.

CV Life provides a vast leisure and cultural offer to all communities in Coventry and visitors to the city, offering everything from attractions, museums, leisure centres, educational programmes to community outreach projects.

• Apprenticeship Level: 3
• Weekly Wage: 
• Working Week: 30 hours
• Starting Date: September 1, 2026
• Employer: CV Life
• Duration: 12 months