Baby swimming can be a wonderful shared experience for all the family. From the first splashes in the bath to confidently diving under, babies delight in the freedom and fun that water provides. Warm water promotes relaxation and little babies enjoy floating peacefully on their backs often gazing up into their parent’s eyes. The more playful older babies and toddlers are jumping and splashing and joining in with many songs and activities. Babies develop water confidence and specific skills to move towards independent swimming, through the carefully developed swim programme.
We teach the Birthlight gentle 'Water Parenting' approach where parent and baby can truly experience the joy of moving in the water together.
Sally Lomas, director of the swim school, has been running swimming classes in the Cambridge area for 20 years. Sally's experience as an International Baby and Toddler swimming and Aqua Yoga tutor ensures high standards of teaching and a welcoming swim team. The connection between Joyful Babies Yoga and Joyful Dolphin Swim creates a supportive journey through parenting on land and in the water too.
"I took both my daughters to Joyful Dolphin and I can't praise them highly enough. The staff are lovely and friendly, and the lessons are great fun. My girls love being in the water, and it has been wonderful to watch them grow in confidence and develop their first swimming skills. Thank you so much!"Hannah Hearn
Teachers
Sally Lomas
Teacher & Swim School Director
Sally Lomas was born in London and has since lived and worked in the UK, Australia and California. She trained originally at West Surrey College of Art and opened a shop in London, which successfully traded in silks and textile design for many years. With the birth of her first child in 1988 Sally became interested in yoga and inspired to move into the specialised world of birth and babies. Finding the inspiration From Active Birth and Birthlight classes she starting teaching Pregnancy and Baby Yoga and then moved as well into the world of Aqua yoga and Baby Swimming. She has four children and is based in Cambridge UK whilst formerly travelling internationally to tutor Birthlight teacher trainings abroad.
Professional connections include training teachers for STA, Sure Start, Touch Learn, Kids Unlimited, Calmababy, Rainbow Kids and Turtle Tots. Sally is also a qualified Montessori teacher and councillor and has many years experience working with pregnant women, parents and babies.
Sally still enjoys teaching locally and continues to care passionately about supporting women and their families through the journey of pregnancy, birth and parenting.
Salima Vivian
Swim Teacher
All through my own childhood and to this day swimming has always been such a joy for me and I look forward to sharing that joy with all our swimming family.
I began my teaching journey helping on poolside, to then training to become a swimming teacher. It has been such a pleasure to watch the growth in confidence and development of all the children who swim with us. I love to share my enthusiasm and pass on our learning skills to you and your family.
Leonie Roques
Swim Teacher
From a very young age I have loved being in the water, whether it be a lake, the sea or a swimming pool and that joy for swimming continues to this day. I am hugely passionate about all things health and wellbeing, which led me to run my own Personal Trainer business I Devon where I specialised in pre/post natal fitness and bariatrics.
My career shift to become a Swimming Teacher was inspired by my own children. Over the years I have sat poolside watching many lessons, watching children learn and teacher's teach and it ignited my love for teaching. Swimming is such an important skill and I'd love to be part of the journey in inspiring children (and their adults) to feel confident and safe in the water.
Mollie Sims
Swim Teacher
From a young age I always enjoyed swimming and being in the water, and I had always thought of becoming a life guard when I was old enough.
I joined Joyful Dophin initially as a lifeguard and I just loved how I could see both children and parent’s confidence grow in the water. It was wonderful to see a different, more sensitive approach to introducing children to the water! During my time with Joyful Dolphin I have had the pleasure of assisting several teachers, learning new things from each of them. It's so exciting and satisfying now that I am a qualified swimming teacher too.
Fran Rose
Swim Teacher
I have always enjoyed swimming and being in the water. I can remember my first
swim teacher as a child and how her kindness and encouragement helped me grow
from initial nerves to a confident swimmer. As an adult it is one of my favourite ways
to exercise and I love being both in the pool and the sea.
My earlier career was in fundraising but I retrained as a baby and toddler swim
teacher after my youngest started school. I was inspired by some of the amazing
lessons I’d experienced with my son at Joyful Dolphin. Sharing my passion for the
water with my children is so important to me and I love seeing their confidence grow.
I want to help other families do the same and it is wonderful seeing the joy that
swimming brings to children and their grown-ups.
Helen Trussell
Swim Teacher
Swimming has always been a passion of mine however it wasn’t until after I became a mother that I decided to pursue a career in teaching. After my first child was born I was eager to get him in to water to gain confidence so we started to attend classes. I felt that this was something I wanted to try for myself, so I trained to be a professional swim teacher. Seven years on and I haven’t looked back, teaching many babies and parents the same essential water skills as well as having fun at the same time through singing and play.