It's part of every local authority's remit to offer swimming lessons in local swimming pools for all age groups and abilities. On average, lessons for children cost £20/£30 per term and classes for adults cost £30/£50 for a set number of weeks.

Lessons are a lot cheaper if you become an annual member of your local pool, which costs about £5. There can be a waiting list for places, so plan early - especially for your children.

If you just fancy a swim, then a visit to your local pool will cost on average £2.50 a go, a little more if you want to join a mother and baby class (it's never to early to start!)

If you want to take things further, then join a swimming club. The cost of training depends on how serious you are about the sport. The more hours of training you do, the more it costs - though it does become more cost effective.

Sue Parry from Abergele got involved with her local swimming club because of her children.

"We're a nine-strong female crew and we're all volunteers. We usually recruit volunteers from within - the parents! I got involved because of sheer boredom! When my son joined the club there was no point driving home and back during a session, so I decided to help out and became club secretary and I'm now an ASA (Amateur Swimming Association) coach. If anyone's interested in becoming a coach, we can apply for a Community Chest award to help fund it. Our club actually got an award for Investment in People for the work we do with the swimmers and coaching staff - the first club like ours to be given one.

"Young people join a swimming club after they reach a certain level of ability. Our club holds training sessions six days a week, morning and evening. The amount of hours swimmers put in depends on their ability, age gender. The maximum anyone does is 20 hours a week.

Our swimmers take part in galas right across the board, from novice meets with other clubs to the North Wales, Welsh and British championships for various age groups.

We've also got great ties with the Olympic silver medallist and former world record holder in the 200m breast stroke, Nick Gillingham. He comes over to give a coaching session each year and is a great support to my son Robert who has swum in the British Championships and was named Conwy Junior Sportsman of the Year in 2004.

I enjoy volunteering with the club because it's a realisation that the human body can be pushed to its limits without getting broken down.

Watching the children's progress has been the biggest plus. I remember Robert struggling to do two lengths and now he's doing 45,000 metres a week! I also really enjoy the educational element of it."