Deepings Swimming Club — A Living History

Early leaders

Community custodians who set the foundation.

• Chair: Alan Chick
• Treasurer: Roger Pears
• Founders: Geoff & Sheila Halliday-Pegg
• John & Sheila Miller
• Norman Whitehead

A family-first mission

The club began as a family club, offering swimming lessons and coaching. Its constitution set a clear purpose: to encourage the art of swimming and associated activities, guided by the committee.

Coaching takes shape

Early head coaches included Dave Mann (from 1984) and briefly Penny before him. The club steadily developed swimmers to county and regional levels, establishing a performance pathway.

Local rivalry, stronger identity

A group of parents formed rival club South Lincs in Spalding. Deepings SC persevered, galvanising its swimmers and families, and reinforcing the club’s close-knit culture.

Volunteer coaching excellence

Steve Smith and Martyn Reynolds shaped Midland and National swimmers. Steve’s clinics on technique, starts, and turns became a hallmark, translating complex stroke mechanics into practical skills for young athletes.

Long-course exposure

Camps at Oundle School (50-yard pool) and training trips to Lanzarote prepared swimmers for long-course racing, increasing mileage and confidence across distances.

Leadership continuity

Chairs: Steve Smith (2002–2005) and Martyn Reynolds (2005–2018). Head coaches across the era included Mark Perry (later British Swimming open water coach), Dave Parker-Meadows, Greg Masters, Jamie Piercewright, and Phil Welbourn.

Paralympic milestones

Rob Welbourn (joined 2001) won gold at the 2004 and 2008 Paralympics (4×100 freestyle relay), silver in the 400m freestyle (S10), and bronze at London 2012 — cementing Deepings SC as Lincolnshire’s Disability Hub Club.

Notable alumni

Alex Thurston — European Masters gold; British age group record (200m IM).
Clare Wookey — Guinness World Record for fastest two-way North Channel relay crossing.

Community heartbeat

The Rob Welbourn Open Meet, club championships, and regular galas anchored the calendar, with families and volunteers sustaining the not-for-profit model and club culture.

Performance highlights

National and international representation by Alex Wray, Isabel Spinley, Bailie Harrison, Bethany Eagle-Brown, Tom Neal, Louis Metselaar and more — with British Summer Championship medals and GB junior selections.

Structure and systems

New squad framework (2018): Gold, Silver, Bronze Youth/Age, Junior Gold, Junior Silver, Skills, Diamonds, and Masters. Website resources expanded (technique, nutrition, DQ avoidance), and Swim Club Manager supported operations.

Masters excellence

Linda Griffin led the Masters squad at European Championships; county records and medal hauls by Alice Grant, Tony Baskeyfield, and others.

Community and fundraising

Events like the Christmas Cracker, club socials, bucket collections, and the cross-channel challenge raised funds (e.g., electronic timing board) and strengthened team spirit.

Leadership and workforce

Chairs Steve Tappern (2018–2020) and interim Andy Cardell underscored volunteer leadership. New coaches Alex Gibbs, Chris Orchard, and Gary Britnell added depth; welfare officers ensured safeguarding remained central.

Heritage preserved

Historic club championship trophies were archived and offered to families; records modernised into separate short-course and long-course sets, reflecting competition reality.