Comment: Swim for your life!

Ali Powell • Published 19 Nov 2009 11:00 0 Comments

IF YOU'VE got children aged under 16 or you're over 60, then head down to your nearest swimming pool - and enjoy a swim for free.

In a brilliant Government initiative designed to get people more active, local councils have signed up to extend the existing free over 60s swimming to all children under 16.

Reading borough joined the scheme at the end of September and Wokingham borough just this week.

In a nutshell, it means anybody in the right age groups can simply turn up at any of the participating pools and swim for free, it's as simple as that.

No questions about whether you work or are on any benefits, no different levels dependant on circumstances, regardless of which borough you live in, everyone is equal and everyone gets to enjoy the same thing for free.

I take the children swimming regularly but never got much change out of a tenner.

So, while it was still a reasonable afternoon's entertainment, it wasn't something we could do too frequently.

We turned up at our local pool a few weeks ago and were greeted by two kids excitedly telling everyone who'd listen that they had just been swimming for free and I was gobsmacked when I got to reception and was told there was free swimming for all children.

As more and more people have heard about the scheme the difference in the pool is amazing. It used to be so quiet that sometimes we almost had the place to ourselves.

Last weekend when we went, it was packed solid with groups of kids and families enjoying themselves, which proves that money is a huge barrier to the enjoyment of such facilities.

I've been taking the children swimming a lot more than usual just because it is now hugely affordable, which is great because they all love swimming.

Not so good for my nerves, however, because three-year-old Harry can't yet swim, a fact that fails to deter him from leaping in from the side any which way he can, and not so good for the times when I really don't fancy going swimming - because I've now lost my age-old "too expensive" excuse!

apowell@berksmedia.co.uk

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