Scottish Swimming and Gladstone Health and Leisure have formally unveiled a new partnership at a meeting of sporta members.

The partnership brings together Gladstone's pool management software, Learn 2, with the national governing body's awards scheme criteria, to provide swimming teachers with a portable poolside device enabling accurate administration, course co-ordination, up to date reporting and parental interaction.

Scottish Swimming, which has developed its own L2S programme to set national approved standards of swimming teaching across Scotland, will now provide specific criteria for each of its swimming awards, which will be embedded into Gladstone's software as a complimentary option for Scottish Swimming customers.

Eighteen local authorities and leisure trusts currently have Awards Agreements with Scottish Swimming with a far reaching audience.

Amanda Church, Scottish Swimming's national business manager explains: "This is a great opportunity for our swim schools in Scotland. At the end of last year we had sold over 100,000 awards. Whilst we are delighted at this milestone we do acknowledge that such an achievement requires a great deal of administrative time and effort by our swimming teachers.

"By teaming up with Gladstone's Learn 2, the software with the awards criteria embedded can effectively provide a one stop shop, meaning the teacher will have more time on poolside than in the office. I am confident this will add real value, save time and encourage the distribution of more awards from our existing customers to their young swimmers."

"This is a very exciting partnership," said Tom Withers, head of sales for Gladstone.

"It's a natural progression from our partnership with the national governing body for swimming in England, the ASA, which was launched back in the summer. It means that swim schools right across the UK can now have access to innovative software that will enable them to improve lesson delivery and administration and in turn increase pupil retention."

Already in Scotland three local authorities are using Gladstone's Learn2 Swim and Scottish Swimming is now in talks with others that are interested in the potential of the software.