The awards, which are sponsored by children's food company Organix, are open to every pre-school activity in the UK.

Water Babies, which also has classes in Wirral, Chester, Liverpool, Warrington and Widnes, was nominated and voted for by scores of North West customers.

Alison Ogden and Tracey Allison, who run a franchise of Water Babies at Hope School in Wigan, said: "We are absolutely thrilled with our win, and we're also delighted to have received a Special Commendation in the Best Baby Development Class category.

"We are so grateful to all the parents who took time in their busy days to bother to both nominate and vote for our classes.
"The feedback we've had is amazing and the award is a wonderful thankyou to our nationwide team for all their incredible enthusiasm, commitment and care."

The local franchise was set up when Alison gave birth to her son, Thomas, in 2004, and found there were no baby swimming classes in the area.

After months of talking about setting up her own classes to friend Tracey Allison, they set to work.
Since starting in October 2005, business has rocketed and they now teach more than 600 babies a week across the North West.
Alison, 34, said: "Since we began, we've seen a huge surge in interest in baby swimming.

"What was once a bit of a niche market is now completely mainstream as more and more parents discover the benefits are so wide-ranging."

Tracey, 33, added: "Not only are we teaching fundamental safety skills from birth – most Water Babies children are swimming confidently by the age of three – but swimming is fantastic for nurturing the bond between parent and child."