News & Events / Free Swimming for Under 16’s
Free Swimming for Under 16’s
Jul 9 2026
🏊 Ready to Book?
Free Under 16s swimming sessions start on Monday 27 July 2026 with the last session taking place on Friday 28 August 2026.
If you don’t already have an Active Nottingham account, you’ll need to create one before booking a session.
✅ Creating an account is free
✅ It only takes a few minutes
✅ The account must be created in the child’s name – Need help creating an account, view our step-by-step guide
📱 Book on the Active Nottingham app
🏊 Visit any Active Nottingham leisure centre and book with the team
🏊 View Timetable
Quick Information
📅 Sessions start: Monday 27 July 2026
📲 Booking opens: Monday 20 July 2026
💷 Cost: Free
✅ Eligibility: Nottingham residents under 16 years old. Under 8s must be accompanied by an adult aged 16+ in the water
How to book
Choose your preferred booking method:
- 🆕 Create a free Active Nottingham account
- 🌐 Book online via our website
- 📱 Book via the Active Nottingham app
- 🏊 Visit any Active Nottingham leisure centre and book with the team
If you don’t already have an Active Nottingham account, you’ll need to create one before booking a session. Creating an account is free and only takes a few minutes. Click here to get started. Need help? Visit our FAQs section or pop into your local Active Nottingham leisure centre where our team will be happy to assist.
Booking a Free Swimming Session
- Step 1: Create a free Active Nottingham account online or by visiting your local Active Nottingham leisure centre.
- Step 2: The account must be created in the child’s name.
- Step 3: Log in and select your preferred leisure centre and Free Under 16 Swimming session.
- Step 4: The booking must be made using the young person’s account.
- Step 5: For children under the age of 8, a supervising adult must accompany them and can be added as part of the session ticket during the booking process. If you would like to accompany a child aged 8 or over, an accompany adult ticket is also available during the booking process.
- Please book the ticket that matches the child’s age. This is required to maintain safe pool supervision ratios. Tickets booked for the wrong age group may be cancelled and rebooked onto the correct ticket.
- Step 6: Complete your booking.
Session timetables and booking information are available below.
Summer Holidays Free Swimming Timetable
Free swimming sessions will run on weekdays during Nottingham school holidays from Monday 27 July 2026 to Friday 28 August 2026 . All leisure centres will be closed on Bank Holidays and no free swimming will take place.
Session Timetable
Click a leisure centre below to view session times.
➕ Clifton Leisure Centre (Click to expand)
-
- Monday: 13:30–14:30
- Tuesday: 13:30–14:30
- Wednesday: 13:30–14:30
- Thursday: 13:30–14:30
- Friday: 10:00–11:00
➕ Djanogly Leisure Centre (Click to expand)
-
- Monday: 10:00–11:00
- Tuesday: 10:00–11:00
- Wednesday: 10:00–11:00
- Thursday: 13:45–14:45
- Friday: 10:00–11:00
Additional sessions will take place on:
-
- Sunday 16 August: 15:30-16:15
- Sunday 23 August: 15:30-16:15
➕ Harvey Hadden Sports Village (Click to expand)
Monday to Friday
-
- 09:30–10:15
- 10:30–11:15
- 13:30–14:15
- 14:30–15:15
➕ Ken Martin Leisure Centre (Click to expand)
-
- Monday: 13:30–14:30
- Tuesday: 10:00-11:00
- Wednesday: 13:30–14:30
- Thursday: 13:30–14:30
- Friday: 10:00–11:00
➕ Southglade Leisure Centre (Click to expand)
-
- Monday: 14:15–15:15
- Tuesday: 10:15–11:15
- Wednesday: 14:15–15:15
- Thursday: 14:15–15:15
- Friday: 13:15–14:15
➕Victoria Leisure Centre (Click to expand)
-
- Monday: 13:30–14:30
- Tuesday: 13:30–14:30
- Wednesday: 11:00–12:00 noon
- Thursday: 14:45–15:45
- Friday: 11:00–12:00 noon
Important Booking Information
- Places are limited, so we recommend booking as early as possible.
- Bookings can be made up to seven days in advance.
- Each child may book one free swimming session per day.
- Sessions are subject to availability and safe pool capacities.
- Walk-ins are welcome, subject to availability. Bookings still required.
- If you can no longer attend, please cancel your booking so your space can be offered to another swimmer.
- If you’re unsure whether your child is eligible or have questions about attending, please visit our FAQ page for further information.
Session times are correct at the time of publication.
What is the programme?
Looking for a fun, active and affordable way to keep the kids entertained during the school holidays? The Under-16s Free Swimming programme offers children and young people across Nottingham the chance to enjoy free swimming sessions at Active Nottingham leisure centres.
Swimming is a vital life skill, a great way to build confidence and an enjoyable form of exercise that supports both physical and mental wellbeing. By removing the cost barrier, Nottingham City Council and Active Nottingham are helping more families make a splash this summer and encouraging children to be active, healthy and confident in the water.
Who can attend?
The Free Swimming programme is available to Nottingham City residents of school age who are under 16 years old. To help keep everyone safe, our Pool Admission Policy still applies:
- Children under 8 years old must be accompanied by a responsible adult or person aged 16+.
- Accompanying adults can attend free of charge when supervising an eligible child. An accompanying adult ticket can also be booked for children aged 8-15 if parental supervision is preferred.
When do sessions run?
- During Nottingham school holidays
- Weekdays only (excluding bank holidays)
- From Monday 27 July 2026 through to February Half Term 2027
Whether your child is a confident swimmer or just starting out, these dedicated sessions provide a fun and welcoming environment to enjoy the water. Support will be available for children who are non-swimmers or less confident in the pool, helping everyone feel comfortable and safe while they swim.
This is a great opportunity for children and young people to stay active, build water confidence and make the most of their school holidays.
Investment in children and young people
This programme is part of Nottingham City Council’s wider investment in services that support children, young people and communities across the city.
In March 2026, the Council agreed a balanced budget that included funding to support additional activity aligned to the Council Plan objectives. This was made possible through careful financial planning and a prudent approach to future funding, allowing the Council to reinvest in frontline services where there is the greatest benefit.
The Under-16s Free Swimming programme is backed by £197,000 of investment and will provide up to 22,000 free swimming opportunities during school holidays. By investing in free access to swimming, the Council aims to help reduce inequalities, support healthy lifestyles and give more children the chance to develop confidence and vital life skills in the water.