News

Free Swimming
By Minister for Sports and Culture: Andy Burnham
June 6, 2008

England's swimming pools could be free to use by the time of the London 2012 Olympics, the government has signalled. Over-60s are to be given free admission to public swimming pools in an £80m initiative, part of a bid to get more people involved in sport by 2012. Sports minister Andy Burnham indicated future funding would allow free entry to under-16s, then to everyone by 2012.

The Conservatives said the plans did not go far enough to meet a commitment to get more young people to do sport. 

Local authorities in England are to get £80m next year to scrap over-60s' charges and a further £50m for the upkeep of pools. The move will be outlined by Gordon Brown as part of a bid to have two million more people taking part in some form of physical exercise by 2012.

"It will be so obviously right, in that it improves the health of the nation, that it improves people's health, happiness, well-being, general quality of life," said Mr Burnham. "If somebody is currently inactive, it's the most likely sport they're going to do. But unlike other sports, swimming has a barrier in its way and it's called an entry charge."

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said: "There is something for everyone in our plans - every part of the country, every section of the population."

Shadow sports minister Hugh Robertson said: "If, as the government are saying, this is the Olympic legacy plan, today's announcement is about swimming for the over-60s - a great thing in itself - but that's hardly 'enabling young people through sport'."

Liberal Democrat culture, media and sport spokesman Don Foster said the government had "no chance" of getting two million more people involved in sport by 2012. "There are lots of organisations across the country working very hard to try and do this, but it all should have started a lot earlier," he said. "Ministers' fine words are all very well, but the figures for people dropping out of sport tell another story."

Olympic gold medallist Adrian Moorhouse welcomed the plans. He said: "I think it's a great thing. I think you've got to start somewhere and swimming is a good sport to start with. "You can't start with everybody straight away, but over-60s will really benefit."

Amateur Swimming Association chief executive David Sparkes said the money earmarked for the upkeep of pools would be a big boost. "£50m will be a tremendous fillip in terms of refurbishing some of the pools we have. This will be a stimulus to local authorities to do that work. "We also hope that some of this money will be used to build school pools to reverse the closures of these pools." He said the number of public pools had remained constant at about 1,400 over the past 20 years, with the closure of older pools being balanced by the opening of new ones. In addition, there is set to be an increase of Olympic-size 50m pools from 23 to 30 by 2012.

Floaters commented that swimming was already one of the cheapest participatory sports, all that is needed is a swimming costume and some water. Children go to their local pool to have fun and quite rightly. This initiative will not increase children's activity levels, nor will it generate future Olympians.

If the govenrment want to throw some money at swimming, then look towards doing something about the quality of swimming tuition available, find those who know what they are doing and support them directly (so the money does not dissapear down administrative tubes), either through finance, facilities or fiscal breaks.   

Look outside the public sector to the pioneers in the considerable private sector.