The award recognises the incredible impact Dave and the Water Warriors have made within the local community, supporting people to improve their health, wellbeing, mobility and confidence through structured, inclusive activity in the pool.
Water Warriors supports people living with a range of health conditions, as well as those recovering from surgery or experiencing mobility challenges, giving participants an opportunity to stay active in a supportive and welcoming environment. The group had previously been announced as a finalist in the prestigious awards earlier this year.
At the heart of the Water Warriors story is Dave Taylor, whose own remarkable recovery inspired him to help others.
Dave developed Guillain-Barré syndrome in 2020, leaving him paralysed from the neck down. After being told he would never walk again, Dave defied the odds following months of intensive rehabilitation, including physiotherapy in a hydrotherapy pool, and walked out of hospital six months later.
Following his recovery, Dave began attending a Friday GP referral swim session at Stafford Leisure Centre. What started with Dave attending independently developed into a thriving and supportive community, with the Water Warriors bringing together people facing their own health and mobility challenges.
Over the past six years, the group has continued to grow and has now expanded to Stone Leisure Centre, with more than 100 members involved.
But Water Warriors is about much more than activity in the pool. The social connection created by the group is an equally important part of its success, with participants regularly getting together after sessions for coffee and cake. This gives members the opportunity to talk, build friendships and share experiences with people facing similar circumstances.
The programme is supported by Freedom Leisure’s Healthy Communities team in the borough of Stafford alongside dedicated volunteers from the group, whose commitment has helped create the welcoming environment that has become central to Water Warriors’ success.
The Active Award was judged by sprinter-turned-bobsledder Ashleigh Nelson, who acknowledged just how difficult it had been to choose a winner from the category and praised the nominees for the work they do to keep their communities active.
Dave’s personal journey particularly resonated with the judge, recognising how he had taken his own experience of serious illness and recovery and used it as inspiration to support others going through their own health challenges.
We are incredibly proud that Dave and the Water Warriors have been recognised with the Active Award at the BBC Radio Stoke ‘Make a Difference’ Awards. This award is testament to Dave’s inspirational journey, the hard work of our Healthy Communities team and the incredible commitment of our volunteers and participants, who inspire us every day. Water Warriors demonstrates exactly what community leisure can achieve. The programme plays a vital role in improving physical and mental wellbeing, while creating friendships, confidence and a real sense of belonging. To see that impact recognised by BBC Radio Stoke is fantastic and hugely deserved. Congratulations to Dave and everyone involved with Water Warriors.
Alistair Gould
The success builds on the continued work at Stafford Leisure Centre to provide inclusive opportunities that enable people to become more active, regardless of their starting point or the health challenges they may face.
For Dave and the Water Warriors, the award is recognition of a community that has grown from one individual’s determination to recover into a group now making a difference to the lives of more than 100 people.
Freedom Leisure continues to champion programmes that promote healthier lifestyles, improve wellbeing and create stronger, more connected communities. Water Warriors is a fantastic example of the organisation’s mission to improve lives through leisure.