A swimming tuition company headquartered in Oxfordshire is directing its lessons toward gathering £10,000 to acquire a wave-creating machine for penguin inhabitants at a major zoological park in Hampshire.

World of Swimming, which delivers instruction to over 3,500 children across Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, and Hampshire, has initiated a fundraising campaign to support the placement of a flow cannon wave system in the penguin enclosure at Marwell Zoo.

The programme, named Make Waves for Marwell’s Penguins, asks young people to gather sponsorship by completing a funded swimming challenge.

Chris Rees, founder and director of World of Swimming, said penguins are extraordinary swimmers, moving effortlessly, delighting in water play, and feeling at home beneath the surface.

The organisation aimed to devise a way to encourage children to build water confidence and safety, and this initiative achieves that objective.

Every length a young swimmer finishes brings the project closer to providing improved experiences for these penguins.

The wave-producing apparatus will create a more dynamic environment for the penguins, simulating ocean movements and stimulating instinctive swimming and recreational activity.

The fundraising drive is set to begin on World Penguin Day, Saturday, April 25, and welcomes individuals of any swimming ability to undertake a funded swim of their choice between May 11 and June 28.

Sessions may take place during regular lessons or at local leisure facilities.

Each child taking part will receive a fundraising pack containing a swimming hat, a Penguin Passport for recording progress, and support with creating an online fundraising page.

Incentives include free child entry to Marwell Zoo for those collecting £30, together with penguin-related merchandise, soft toys, and annual passes for the most successful fundraisers.

The leading donors will also be invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony when the wave machine officially opens later in the summer.

Dan Garrick, birds department head at Marwell Zoo, said they are always looking for creative ways to enhance the welfare of the animals in their care, and a flow cannon would provide an exciting new feature that promotes natural behaviours and positive wellbeing.

The fact that children are driving this initiative through their swimming lessons makes it particularly special.

Laura Read, chief executive at Marwell Zoo, noted that the campaign embodies the shared values of both organisations.

Ms Read said their partnership truly brings together two organisations with complementary goals, with one concentrating on introducing young people to physical activity and the lifelong skill of swimming, and the other committed to connecting young people with nature, building enduring respect for wildlife, plants, and our planet.

The two genuinely complement one another, or perhaps flipper to flipper in this case.