SAST is in a race to raise the funds needed to replace the Electronic Timing System at our home swimming pool, the Citadel Leisure Centre in Ayr. It is vital to our future as a Club that we win this race because without a reliable Electronic Timing System, we will not be able to host Swimming Gala's that other Clubs throughout Scotland want to participate in. It's a big issue for our Club because Gala's bring hundreds of people to Ayr every year, generating income for the Club that we cannot afford to lose.
SAST currently has over 250 swimmers, mostly children and teenagers. We also have a Para squad, for anyone with a disability, and a Masters squad for older swimmers. Over the last 20 years, SAST has been fortunate enough to have coached thousands of boys and girls across Ayrshire, and today the Club is ranked inside the top 10 in Scotland.
The heart and soul of the Club are the young people who swim with us. We see them grow and develop from children into young adults, building a set of skills to help them for the rest of their lives. Physical fitness and general wellbeing are two key outcomes that young people get from swimming, but swimming regularly in a Club environment also helps them develop important life skills such as interpersonal & social interaction, commitment, a good work ethic and time management.
Unfortunately, our current Electronic Timing System is over 20 years old and unreliable. We need to replace it. A modern, comprehensive Electronic Timing System is an integrated and highly sophisticated system that combines electronic, digital and mechanical parts in and around the swimming pool, designed to provide accurate timing results for a swimming race. The cost to replace the current system and supporting equipment is £35,000 so the Club has embarked on a Fundraising campaign to raise this amount.
We need your help. Any amount you can donate will mean a great deal to everyone connected with South Ayrshire Swim Team (SAST). Most important of all, it will help us to continue as the Club that we are today.