D&G Christmas Cracker 2025
Please see details below and always check eligibility and swims with coaches before entering events. Thank you.
Entry times
Must be NO faster than the accompanying QTs and should be from
Rankings or a training time – ‘YES’ times maybe entered. If necessary, entry times should be converted to 25m pool times by use of Swim England Conversion Tables.
Meet Conditions
1. Held under Swim England Regulations & Technical Rules, licensed by Swim England NER as a Level 3 meet.
2. Meet to be held at The Louisa Centre, Stanley – the Pool length is 25m of variable depth with 6 lanes & anti-wave lane ropes; a separate swim down facility is available, a lifeguard will be present for safety reasons. However, club coaches will be responsible for the behaviour of their own swimmers. An external starting strobe facility will not be available.
3. Colorado Electronic Timing will be in operation with scoreboard display. Times
displayed are for information only.
4. Entries open 8am on 27th October 2025 - Entries will be accepted until such time as each session is full, and the meet will then be closed.
5 Swimmers will be permitted to compete for only one club during the meet.
6. The Female category is for birth sex females in accordance with Swim England’s Transgender and Non-Binary Competition Policy. By entering the ‘Female’ category, a swimmer confirms that their birth sex is female
7. Entry times must be NO faster than the accompanying QTs and should be from
Rankings or a training time – ‘YES’ times maybe entered. If necessary, entry times should be converted to 25m pool times by use of Swim England Conversion Tables.
8. Ages are as at 30th November 2025.
9. Age groups/Events will be:
9 years: 50m, 100m and 200 form strokes, (excluding 200 Butterfly &
200IM)
10/Over years: 50m, 100m and 200m form strokes, 400 Freestyle; 200IM
All events will be Heat Declared Winner by Age Group (see item 14).
10. Entry fees: £7.00 per event (Poolside Entries will be accepted at £10 per swim if meet is not oversubscribed and at the discretion of the Meet Manager).
11. A Poolside pass will cost £20.00 Weekend/£10 Day which includes start sheets, lunch and a full copy of results start sheets; Coaches and Team Managers will NOT be permitted on poolside without the necessary pass.
12. Entries must be submitted on the Entry Manager file.
Sportsystems Entry Manager file should be emailed to:- natalie.johnson@gawswim.org.uk
Online payment details, please see summary sheet. A valid email address must be
supplied for entry confirmation.
13. Heats will be seeded by submitted entry times from slowest to fastest all heats will be spearheaded. The organisers reserve the right to limit entries. If the event is oversubscribed, entries will be rejected from the slowest entries fairly across all age groups to ensure completion of the meet within the scheduled timescale.
Any entry not accepted will be refunded in full; no other monies will be refunded.
Any withdrawal requests due to medical grounds, will only be considered with
supporting documentary evidence, e.g. doctor’s note, hospital letter.
14. Awards will be made to the first six in each age group: 9 and 10; the first three in 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15/Over. Awards for the first three disability swimmers will be made in each event. Positions are determined based on relative multi-classification points rather than time.
15. For safety reasons only swimmers who can perform an SE competitive start may perform a shallow racing dive from the starting blocks. Where possible, over-the-top starts will be used during the meet. Swimmers are requested to remain in the water until asked to leave the pool.
16. Swimmers are NOT allowed to wear Watches, Fitbits or any other Timing devices.
17. Disability swimmers:
a. Swimmers with a disability shall swim under IPC Rules;
b. Qualifying times for disability swimmers are not required, however qualifying time shall be submitted for seeding of heats;
c. Poolside passes will attract the advertised fee and chaperones/personal care
assistants must conform to the Swim England Child Protection Procedures and hold a current DBS Certificate: please advise the club in advance if any swimmer
requires support to get changed so a changing room pass can be arranged.
d. The competition format will be based on disability inclusion within the able
bodied programme – there will be no separate events for disability swimmers;
e. Disability swimmers will be included in the results for their age group.
18. Admission for spectators will be: -
£5 a session or £10 per day
50p start sheets per session.
Concessions - £4 a session, £8 per day.
Children 12 and under -accompanied by adults, will be admitted free.
Admission for Spectators can be made via payment card, our preferred payment
method.
19. The use of image-capturing equipment (Still or Video) during the meet in the
pool, changing spectator area for any reason, including educational, is
STRICTLY FORBIDDEN. Anyone found acting contrary to this policy will be
reported and may be subject to further action.
Only an officially designated photographer will be permitted on poolside.
20. Swimmers and parents are not permitted on the stairways down to poolside as these
are for official and emergency use only.
21. Derwentside & Gateshead Swim Team will NOT be responsible for any
unaccompanied swimmer on the poolside. The responsibility falls on the club entering the swimmer who must monitor and manage the behaviour of their children. It is the competing club’s responsibility to provide the correct ratio of Team Managers to Swimmers, according to the latest Swim England guidance.
22. Within the pool area and changing rooms, swimmers are the responsibility of their club coach/team manager. Swimmers who EXIT the pool and changing area are the responsibility of their parent or guardian.
23 The use of any mobile phones in the changing areas during any Swim England
regulated event is prohibited. This includes - making/receiving calls, emails,
messages, accessing the internet, listening to music or podcasts as well as use for
photography/videography. When in the changing areas, phones should remain out of sight in bags or pockets.
This applies to everyone involved in the activity - swimmers, coaches/team staff,
officials, meet management, and volunteers.
24. Anyone found damaging or misusing property or equipment or displaying anti-social behaviour at the host venue may be disqualified from any further involvement in the competition and may be subject to further action from the pool management. Any swimmer banned from the poolside by the referee or pool management, because of their unacceptable behaviour, shall not be given a refund and may be banned from all future meets at the venue.
25. Swimmers leaving the pool area MUST wear a top, shorts and footwear.
26. Only pool staff, swimmers, coaches, team managers, officials and authorised club volunteers are allowed in the changing area and on poolside – a poolside wristband or Swim England pass must be worn at all times and coaches, team managers and authorised club helpers should wear an identifying club top/ID Badge. Parents are NOT permitted in the changing area and will be requested to leave.
27. Coaches or Team Managers should advise the recorders of any withdrawals by 5pm the day before an AM session and at least 1 hour before the PM session start. Seeded AM heat start lists will be produced the evening before prior to the start time of the
session. Complying with this condition will keep the number of empty lanes to a
minimum.
28. Coaches/Team managers are responsible for ensuring competitors report to the marshalling area at the required time. Swimmers failing to report to the competitive marshals in time for the start of their race may not be allowed to compete. We will not call for individual swimmers.
29. NO hot drinks are allowed on poolside.
30. Derwentside & Gateshead Swim Team and Durham County Council cannot be held responsible for loss or damage to spectators' or swimmers' property. Swimmers are advised to use the lockers (50p refundable) in the changing rooms and not to leave belongings unattended in the changing area or on poolside.
31. Full results will be posted externally (Derwentside & Gateshead Swim Team website, Rankings and possibly competing club websites) – entering the meet is acceptance of this point.
32. A Copy of the meet expenses policy is available on request and will be emailed to all officials at the point of invitation to allow an informed decision to be made on whether to volunteer.
33. The Lead Referee will be - Chris Johnston: ndofficials@gmail.com
34. All competing Clubs are requested to provide officials to ensure the smooth running
of the meet, please contact Chris Johnston on ndofficials@gmail.com
35. The promoter reserves the right to amend the Programme of Events, to ensure the smooth running of the meet. Any points not covered here will be at the discretion of the meet organisers.
36. The submission of entries will indicate acceptance of these conditions.