A SWIMMING coach has made a real splash for a small community club, raising numbers and helping to keep it well afloat during the lean period of the pandemic.
Anya Francis’s dedication volunteering at Hetton Amateur Swimming Club, in Hetton-le-Hole, has earned her “surprise” recognition in the Queen New Year’s honours.
The 48-year-old civil servant by day has been awarded an MBE for services to young people through swimming.
