26/10/2026
💙 A world-first for inclusive swimming at London Aquatics Centre.
London Aquatics Centre has become the only venue in the world to have three PoolPod 3.0 systems under one roof, with one permanently installed at each of its three pools. 🏊
The specialist systems allow wheelchair users and people with mobility needs to independently lower themselves into and rise out of the water, making swimming more accessible and visits easier to plan.
And for families like Amelia Bull’s, that means so much more than pool access.
12-year-old Amelia is a full-time wheelchair user who attends the centre’s dedicated SEND swimming sessions alongside her three siblings. Before discovering the PoolPod, finding a suitable swimming facility where she could safely get in and out of the water had been a challenge for her family.
Now, the PoolPod allows Amelia to enter the water gradually, at a pace that works for her, so she can enjoy swimming alongside her siblings.
💬 Her mum said: “Since attending the SEND swimming sessions at London Aquatics Centre, we’ve finally been able to swim together as a family. That has been incredibly special for us.”
With between 20 and 30 customers using the PoolPods every day, having a dedicated system at each pool means accessible entry is available wherever customers choose to swim, without needing to move equipment between pools.
Chris Wells, Everyone Active Contract Manager at London Aquatics Centre, said the investment was a significant step forward for accessibility and would help ensure the venue’s Olympic and Paralympic legacy continues to benefit as many people as possible.
Because everyone deserves the opportunity to enjoy the water. 💙
