WATCH: Television presenters Sam and Mark praise award-winning deaf-friendly swimming project
Junior Bake Off presenters Mark Rhodes and Sam Nixon have praised a deaf-friendly Swimming Project in Wolverhampton for being voted the UK's Best Sport project.
The Deaf-Friendly Swimming Project aims to break down barriers preventing deaf young people from taking part in swimming.
The National Deaf Children's Society launched the programme in July 2014 as part of its mission to create a world without barriers for the UK's 45,000 deaf children and their families.
There are lessons across the UK, including week-long courses at Wolverhampton Swimming and Fitness Centre, Plantery Road, Wolverhampton.
More than 2,800 people voted for the Deaf-friendly Swimming Project in this year's National Lottery Awards – the annual search to find the UK's favourite Lottery-funded projects – to win the Best Sport project prize.
Appearing at Wolverhampton Swimming and Fitness Centre on Monday, Mr Rhodes, from Darlaston, said: "Every kid should be able to swim, and it's incredible that deaf children don't easily have that access.
"We have children who can hear and I think it's something you really take for granted."
The project wins a £3,000 cash prize, an National Lottery Awards trophy and will attend a star-studded awards ceremony, broadcast on BBC One in September.
