Joining AST: Our Simple & Transparent Fees

 

Welcome to the AST family! We're excited for you to start your swimming journey with us. We believe in being open and transparent about our fees. Our simple monthly structure is based on which of our squads a swimmer trains with. For a full breakdown of each squad and its focus, we highly recommend visiting our comprehensive Squad Information page . This page will guide you through the associated fees and our easy payment process.

 

Step 1: Your All-Inclusive Monthly Squad Fee

Your monthly fee covers all scheduled pool and land training sessions for your swimmer's squad. This single payment makes everything simple, with no hidden weekly costs.

  • Junior Squad: £35 per month

  • Development 1 Squad: £55 per month

  • Development 2 Squad: £60 per month

  • Fitness Squad: £55 per month

  • County Squad: £71 per month

  • Regional Squad: £80 per month

  • Performance Squad: £83 per month

  • Masters Squad (18+): £35 per month

Step 2: Getting Started Costs

When you first join, there are two initial payments to get you set up.

  1. A One-Off Club Joining Fee: £20 This is a single payment for all new members that helps cover the initial administration of setting up your swimmer with the club.

  2. Annual Swim England Registration This is a mandatory yearly fee that registers your swimmer with our national governing body, Swim England. It provides essential insurance coverage and allows your swimmer to compete. The fee is collected on joining and then every January thereafter.

    • Club Train (For non-competitive swimmers): £20 per year

    • Club Compete (For competitive swimmers): £45 per year

    Don't worry, our Membership Secretary will help you choose the right category when you join!

Step 3: Simple & Secure Payments with GoCardless

To make life as easy as possible for our families, we manage all payments through GoCardless Direct Debit, with fees collected on the 1st of each month. We handle everything for you, so you can focus on the swimming!

The benefits for you:

  • ✅ Hassle-Free: Set it up once when you join, and you're done! No need to remember to make manual payments.

  • ✅ Fully Automated: When your swimmer moves up a squad, we update the fee for you. Your payment adjusts automatically.

  • ✅ Secure & Protected: All payments are fully protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee.

  • ✅ Completely Transparent: You'll always receive an email notification from GoCardless before any payment is taken, so there are no surprises.

The Important Details

A few extra points to be aware of:

  • Fee Reviews: To ensure we can cover our running costs like pool hire and coaching, our squad fees are reviewed annually. Any changes will be communicated well in advance.

  • Network Membership: We offer a membership for swimmers who train with another primary club for £46 per month. This allows for a maximum of two sessions per week, agreed in advance with the Head Coach.

  • Leaving the Club: If you decide to leave the team, we require one month's notice in writing to our Club Secretary. This ensures we can process the cancellation and stop your Direct Debit in time.

  • Late Payments: We rely on prompt payment to run the club effectively for everyone. If fees become significantly overdue, we may need to ask a swimmer to pause training until the balance is settled.