September 23, 2026 // Franchising.com // ALLEN PARK, Mich. — British Swim School, North America’s leading provider of water safety and survival programs, has officially opened a new location to serve families in the Downriver Detroit area.
Local entrepreneur Abbas Farran opened British Swim School of Downriver this August inside LA Fitness at 3233 Fairlane Drive in Allen Park, after seeing how his own family benefitted from British Swim School’s water safety and survival skills program.
“Both my 3-year-old child and my wife - who did not even know how to float - took swim lessons at a British Swim School. I was impressed with their survival-first curriculum and small lesson sizes,” said Farran. “That experience helped convince me to bring British Swim School to the Downriver Detroit community.”
Farran’s family experience was only part of what motivated him to bring the school to Downriver. As a leader with a local Boy Scouts group, Farran saw the community's need for swim education firsthand. He recalls being on an outing with approximately 150 children and was struck by how many struggled in the water or lacked confidence in their swimming abilities. The experience reinforced for him that learning to swim is not simply a recreational activity but an important life skill that can help children become safer around water.
“Swimming is a survival skill. If your child said they didn't want to wear a seatbelt, you wouldn't let them,” Farran said. “Learning to swim is just as important because it's a life-saving skill.”
British Swim School’s specialized curriculum serves all ages and progresses through three primary tiers:
The approach reflects British Swim School’s broader “Every Age. Every Stage.” philosophy, recognizing that water-safety and swimming skills continue to evolve throughout a person’s life.
For Farran, his mission is to help more families in Downriver feel confident and prepared around the water.
“I wanted to do more than open a business,” Farran said. “I wanted to be somebody that, years from now, people remember as the person who helped so many families learn how to swim. You'll never know how many lives you've saved by helping someone learn what to do in an emergency.”
The opening coincides with British Swim School’s national Jump On In Sweepstakes, running September 8–30, giving two winners (one child under 18 and one adult 18+) a full year of swim lessons plus a British Swim School swim gear prize package.
Families interested in learning more about British Swim School of Downriver can visit www.britishswimschool.com/downriver-detroit-area for information about programs, schedules and enrollment.
British Swim School is North America's most established swim school franchise, with more than 45 years of experience delivering expert-led swim education. Guided by the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to be safer and more confident in and around the water — at every age and every stage — British Swim School offers swim lessons for babies, children, young adults, adults, and those with special abilities. The British Swim School program is built on a survival-first approach, focusing on water competency and essential life-saving skills before progressing to stroke development and long-term confidence. This proven methodology gives families peace of mind while equipping swimmers with skills that support lifelong safety. As a purpose-driven franchise, British Swim School also provides entrepreneurs the opportunity to build a meaningful business rooted in safety, community impact, and a proven, scalable operating model. Part of the Buzz Franchise Brands family, British Swim School operates more than 550 schools across the United States and Canada. For more information, visit www.britishswimschool.com.
SOURCE British Swim School
British Swim School has been dedicated to teaching water survival skills to children as young as three months old.