In the next few months, little Turtle Tots will be popping up in lovely warm pools in a lovely warm country as we open our first franchise in the United Arab Emirates.

When we launched Turtle Tots in the UK in 2015, we had always dreamed of taking our mission to teach water safety and swimming skills to babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers through our child-led and award-winning programme around the world. International franchising has already enabled us to open a successful swim school in Ireland and explore new territories such as the UAE.

Earlier this year, we decided it was time to take a leap into the deep end and attended the International Swim School Association’s conference in Dubai to promote our international franchise opportunities. It was there we meet Anna Blackwell, the soon-to-be first Turtle Tots franchisee in the UAE.

Anna, who is originally from the UK, has called Dubai home for more than 15 years. When her first two babies were small, she took them to baby swimming lessons there.

Anna says, “I loved the bonding experience baby swimming provided, seeing my babies explore the water and the opportunity it gave me to meet other mums.”

After the birth of her third child, Anna spent some time back in the UK and wanted to give her little one the same opportunities as their older siblings. She started attending her local Turtle Tots swimming lessons and found that she loved the sessions so much that she completed her swimming teacher training.

After covid, Anna and her family moved back to Dubai, and she continued in her previous career in Consultancy.  Feeling unfulfilled and unmotivated, when a post from Turtle Tots Franchising popped up on her LinkedIn feed and she knew immediately that she had to take action.

“Swimming has always been a huge passion of mine, having swum competitively through my teens. I am at my happiest when I’m in a swimming pool or in the sea. Having the opportunity to combine my love of the water with the enjoyment I get from teaching children to swim and build water confidence, made the choice to become a Turtle Tots franchisee an easy one!”

Water safety is a hot topic in Dubai. Due to the wonderful warm climate, there are swimming pools and water features at every turn and, as a coastal city, you are never too far away from the sea. In recent years, this exciting and vibrant city has attracted a huge number of young families all of whom want their children to be safe in their environment. Teaching water safety skills and swimming in Dubai is vital to keep babies and toddlers safe as they grow.

“Becoming a Turtle Tots franchisee not only allows me to work in a field that I am passionate about, but it also enables me to do something meaningful whilst providing the flexibility I need to spend more time with my husband and children.”

Anna will be completing the rigorous Turtle Tots Aquatics and Business Training over the summer and will receive the support she needs from our dedicated HQ team to get her business up and running. She plans to officially launch Turtle Tots Dubai in September, offering baby, toddler and preschool swimming lessons in four fabulous pools across the city.  Classes will soon be available to book on our United Arab Emirates website. However, if you live in Dubai and are interested in taking your little one to swimming lessons you can email dubai@turtletots.com to register your interest.

Good luck Anna! The entire Turtle Tots family are right behind you.