Safety Training Awards, the awarding organisation of the Swimming Teachers' Association (STA), has been handed the Collaboration of the Year award at this year’s FAB Awards.

Safety Training Awards received the gong for its Level 2 Open Water Swimming Coaching qualification, which it launched earlier this year.

According to Dave Candler, STA CEO, the creation of the new qualification is the result of a "huge number of organisations" collaborating and combining their knowledge, methods and practices to create an "all-encompassing qualification" for the open water swimming world.

"I’m thrilled for all the amazing collaborators who freely dedicated their time and expertise in the development of the Open Water Swimming Coaching qualification over the last 12-18 months," he said.

"Together we knew it was what the industry needed.”

The collaborators included Keri-anne Payne, founder of Triscape and double world champion and Olympic silver medallist in open water swimming; Colin Hill, director of Chillswim; Rick Kiddle, founder of NOWCA; swimming coach Len Hatcher; and Leon Fryer, co-founder of SwimYourSwim.

Others were Simon Griffiths, publisher of Outdoor Swimmer magazine; Jason Tait, founder of South West Swim and a number of specialist organisations – such British Long Distance Swimming Association, the Channel Swimming Association, the International Ice Swimming Association, Restube and Swim Secure.

The FAB (Federation of Awarding Bodies) Awards recognise the contributions made by awarding organisations and their employees to education and skills in the UK over the past year.