Toby has a broad background covering corporate, consulting, scale up and startup organisations. Core competencies focus around sustainability, impact, strategy and systems thinking.  

Toby is a keen open water swimmer, having retired from professional triathlon. Having 2 children himself, he understands the importance of access to regular swimming and progression not just for water safety, but also for self-esteem, confidence and independence.

Toby is a father of two, Arya and Io, who are keen swimmers. Occasionally they’ll join him in the sea in summer, but they’re not yet tempted by winter open water!

Head of Swimming and Sport at Places Leisure

Dave Candler is Chief Executive Officer of the Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA), a national governing body for swimming and a registered charity dedicated to the teaching of swimming, lifesaving and survival skills. He has led the organisation since 2016 and represents a membership of more than 20,000 swimming teachers and aquatic professionals across the UK. He also serves as CEO of the International Federation of Swimming Teachers’ Associations (IFSTA), representing member organisations across 22 countries worldwide.

With more than 30 years’ experience in swimming teaching, leisure management and workforce development, Dave is passionate about ensuring everyone has the opportunity to learn how to swim and enjoy the water safely, regardless of their ability, background or circumstances. Throughout his career, he has championed greater inclusion across aquatics, helping to develop specialist disability swimming qualifications, inclusive workforce development programmes and partnerships that support disabled children, young people and adults to access the benefits of swimming.

Dave has been actively involved in sector-wide discussions on accessibility, inclusion and skills development through his work with ukactive and many other strategic partners, including Level Water. He is a strong advocate for collaborative approaches that bring together charities, governing bodies, leisure operators and community organisations to remove barriers to participation and create more inclusive opportunities for everyone. 

A Chartered Manager Fellow with CIMSPA, Dave sits on the Swimming Alliance Steering Group, helping to shape national standards, workforce development, school swimming and the future direction of the aquatics sector. Before becoming STA’s CEO, he spent a decade as Operations, Swimming and Training Manager at Inspire Leisure, one of the UK’s largest swimming lesson providers.

As a senior STA Tutor, Dave has personally trained hundreds of swimming teachers over the years. This hands-on experience continues to inform his approach to leadership and workforce development, ensuring strategic decisions are grounded in the realities of poolside delivery.

Alongside his professional roles, Dave remains actively involved in the sport and has recently returned to poolside coaching at his local swimming club. A keen open water swimmer, he has also successfully completed a Channel Swim Relay with Team STA. 

As a Trustee of Level Water, he is committed to supporting the charity’s mission of improving access to swimming for disabled children and ensuring more young people can experience the life-changing benefits of learning to swim

My first professional career was in PR and communication in both the energy and higher education sectors where I specialised in crisis management as well as strategic communications and public affairs and campaigning.

My second career is as an open water swimming coach and swimming teacher, working mainly with adults from beginners to triathletes at Sandford Parks Lido in Cheltenham and at the lakes of the Cotswold Water park, offering cold water introductions in the winter and technical stroke improvement in the summer months.

I was inspired to train to teach people to swim when I read about the shocking gap in swimming attainment following Covid and the consequent pool closures. During my training, I was diagnosed with a neurological movement disorder, dystonia, which affects how I swim and has given me a very close-up understanding of what it means to make adaptations and adjustments both in daily life and swimming, with the realisation that swimming is adaptable, achievable and enjoyable despite physical challenges.

I feel enthused by Level Water’s ambitious goals for children and the positive full-life approach that they embody.

I live in Cheltenham with my husband and teenage twins. I still love to participate in outdoor swimming events, though these days my goal is to ‘complete not compete’.