Youngsters in Daventry district who have dived in to free swimming sessions may have helped to shape new government policy aimed at getting the nation’s children active.
This week Sports Minister Andy Burnham announced plans to boost sport and fitness through free swimming, as part of a lasting legacy of the 2012 London Olympics. A new £140 million fund is being set up to encourage local authorities to open up their pools free to over 60s and offer free swimming sessions to under 16s.
Free swimming for under 16s in the district over school holidays at Daventry Leisure Centre has proved a huge success, with more than 20,000 free swims since its launch in April 2007.
Last month details of the initiative, run by Daventry District Council in partnership with SOLL Leisure, were fed back to the offices of government ministers Hazel Blears (Communities and Local Government) and Andy Burnham (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) as one of the examples of how free swimming is helping youngsters.
Daventry district’s scheme, the only one of its kind in Northamptonshire, has also been used as a case study for Sport England. During this year’s Whitsun school holidays, 1,290 free swims were recorded, taking the total since its launch last year to just over 20,000.
Councillor Alan Hills, Portfolio Holder for Community, Culture and Leisure at Daventry District Council, said: “Free swimming has been a resounding success in Daventry district. It’s great to see so many youngsters spending their school holidays in a fun and active way.”
Daventry District Council’s Managing Director Simon Bovey added: “The figures prove that the initiative does work and we were only too happy to provide the government with an outline of our scheme and how well-received it has been. We have also seen a rise in the number of adults using the pool at the leisure centre.”
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