Free Swimming For Over 60's

Primrose

The government has offered £140m of funding to Local Authorities across the country to support free swimming for the Over 60's, starting on April 1st and continuing until 31st March 2011. You do not have to be a resident within these areas to swim for free. Many council owned pools across the country are participating in the initiative so if you would like to know if your local pool is joining in, just call them or check out their website to find out. (South Bucks residents will have free access to all swimming pools in South Bucks, and also pools in Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead). Certain restrictions may apply so it's best to enquire at the pool in which you are interested. You will need to produce a Bus Pass or other evidence of age.)

Hezzawithkids

I have checked with my local council (Dacorum, Herts) and they are NOT going to particpate in this initiative because they would lose money!! :mad: See their (lengthy) reply to my email enquiry below - is anyone else facing a similar situation??

Thank you for your email, i apologise for the delay in replying.

Please see following response:-

The government announced in June last year that there would be funding available for Over 60’s and under 16’s to swim free in partnership with local authorities in an attempt to make Britain healthier. This would be an initiative through the local authority Dacorum Borough Council who we manage the Sports facilities and development service on behalf of.

The free swimming ‘pot’ available to local authorities totalled some £15million per annum over the next 2 financial years. The allocation for this pot is determined demographically.

In Dacorum we have an extensive programme of both wet and dry activities available to the over 60’s, out in the community and within the Sportspace facilities themselves. When we were informed of the allocation of funds available to this area we recognised that there would be a considerable shortfall between the income that is currently achieved and the allocation extended.

Our choices in endeavouring to cover that gap were as follows; -

1. Put up some charges and costs to customers
2. Reduce the provision of activities and services elsewhere
3. A combination of both no.’s 1 and 2
4. Opt out of the free swimming process

A key factor for us in considering our options is that we believe in the importance of providing a wide range of activities for everyone in the community. Our conclusion in reviewing all options and discussing it thoroughly with our Board of Trustees was that it would impact enormously if we cut other activities to provide free swimming to one age group especially as not everyone wants to swim or can swim. We therefore decided not to participate in this scheme.

Having said that we have decided to look at other options to encourage more people to swim which will include some free adult tuition sessions within a structured programme throughout the year and taster sessions being offered for alternative aquatic disciplines such as diving, water polo and lifesaving skills.

We will also work more closely with our local clubs to ensure that there is a structured pathway from our 'learn to swim' schemes to ensure continued participation as a lifelong pursuit.

I do hope this lengthy response has answered your query however please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.


Yours Sincerely


Rebecca Hemmant
Business Development Manager

Primrose

hezza - that's a pity. However, it's worth bearing in mind if you're going away somewhere for a few days or holidaying in the UK as the initiative for Under 16's and Over 60's seems to cover all people in these categories, even if they're not local residents. I enquired at one of our fairly local swimming pools and they will just be asking you to take documentation showing your date of birth to allow you to register. Seeing that our Council Tax is now £2100 a year, it's nice to know that at least we'll be getting something else back for it! Just hope they don't put all the parking fees up at the swimming pools to try and recover some of the costs.

millie

I was told at my local pool that I could only use the pools in my council tax area. It would be good if this is not the case, I hope someone knows the answer to this.

Primrose

millie - I suggest you contact the Leisure Department of your local council for information on whether nearby local authorities have reciprocal arrangements. . They will be the people tasked with implementing this government initiative for free swimming and they will be the people who would have liaised with their adjacent Local Authority neighbours if such a scheme had been implemented. I don't know whether Googling "Local Authorities participating in government's Free Swimming initiative" will throw up any answers. The scheme was only announced this week so some local authorities may still be getting their act together on this one as it's a scheme which is going to last up until the Olympics apparently.

Primrose

millie - check this link
http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/CMS_103800_Ltr_to_LAs_free_swimming.rtf

and look under APPENDIX A which lists those local authorities who appear to be receicving grants and taking part.

millie

Primrose wrote: »

millie - check this link
http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/CMS_103800_Ltr_to_LAs_free_swimming.rtf

and look under APPENDIX A which lists those local authorities who appear to be receicving grants and taking part.

In point No. 2 it states

300 local authorities have chosen to offer free swimming to their local residents aged sixty or over. I am very grateful for what is clearly a strong desire amongst the huge majority of authorities to get more people more active and to be part of a lasting legacy from the 2012 Olympic Games.

I thought they only got funding for their own council taxpayers, I am a Solihull resident so I will phone a Birmingham pool tomorrow and ask if I can use my pass in their pool, and get their idea on the rules.

Oblivion

Hezzawithkids wrote: »

I have checked with my local council (Dacorum, Herts) and they are NOT going to particpate in this initiative because they would lose money!! :mad: See their (lengthy) reply to my email enquiry below - is anyone else facing a similar situation??

Sadly, yes. My local council Epsom & Ewell in Surrey has taken the easy way out and decided not to bother. I really don't know how they can live with their consciences. Maybe the government should have made this important health-giving scheme compulsory rather than relying on the integrity :rolleyes: of lame- a ss councils who just can't be bothered, or who are acting politically to the detriment of their electorate.

I've just found this on the uk.local.surrey newsgroup which says it far more eloquently than I could ...

From: "Backstroke" <[EMAIL="AgainstTheTide&#64;drowning.co.uk"][email protected][/EMAIL]>
Subject: Epsom & Ewell Council Rejects Free Swimming!
Date: 27 March 2009 12:39 PM

In a churlish move that makes even the curmudgeon Scrooge seem like a
philanthropist, Epsom and Ewell Borough Council have announced on their
website that they will not be participating in the Government's free
swimming campaign for the over-sixties and under-sixteens.

The full council statement is appended below, and their explanation can be
summed up as, alleged lack of flexibility on the part of the government in
setting the rules for implementation, and allegedly not enough funding to
see it through.

Odd then, that the following other Surrey Boroughs have embraced the scheme and are implementing it ...

Mole Valley (which will include Leatherhead Leisure Centre pool and Dorking
Centre)
Elmbridge
Guildford
Runnymede
Spelthorne
Waverley
Woking

To this list we can add our London Borough neighbours in ...

Sutton
Richmond Upon Thames
Merton
Kingston Upon Thames.

If all these nearby local authorities can manage to sign up for this, it
begs the question why can't the pathetic prima donnas in the Epsom & Ewell
town hall do the same? Why would a council choose to turn down government funding that would directly benefit the health of their elderly and young population?

It seems that this council, which is lead by a majority of Residents
Association councillors, clearly don't give a toss about their residents.
No doubt those residents will be expressing their views through the ballot
boxes at the next local elections.

Backstroke

---

EEBC website statement ...............

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council has expressed its frustration at not being
able to offer free swimming for the under 16s and over 60s in the scheme set
up by Central Government because appropriate funding to fully cover the cost is not being provided. The government has said the scheme cannot be operated flexibly to enable the Council to keep it within budget.

The Council initially expressed an interest to the Department for Culture,
Media and Sport (DCMS) to participate in the scheme. During discussions, it
found that the level of funding was already decided and the rules for
running the free swim offer were fixed. However, in costing the scheme
within the rules for Epsom & Ewell, the allocated funding would not cover
the full amount and the Council would need to fund the shortfall.
Exploring various options with the DCMS, the Council suggested ways to use
the pre-calculated funding on offer and provide some flexibility in the
running of the project. These ideas would have allowed the Council to make
sure that the cost of running the scheme was more in line with the amount of
funding promised.
However none of the pro-active options the Council gave were agreed by the
government. As a result of the extra financial cost that would have to be
met from Council Tax, the Council felt it had to withdraw its commitment to
this scheme.
Councillor Clive Woodbridge, Chairman of the Leisure Committee said:
"On the face of it, the free swimming scheme seemed an excellent idea and we
agreed to participate. However it soon became clear there were many
loopholes. The Council cannot write a blank cheque and the costs to run the
scheme were open ended which was not just unfair to the Council but also to
our residents.
"The government refused to allow any flexibility to enable the scheme to be
launched in Epsom & Ewell which is a huge disappointment not only to us, but
also to residents who would have reaped the benefits."

Oblivion

Primrose wrote: »

The scheme was only announced this week so some local authorities may still be getting their act together on this one as it's a scheme which is going to last up until the Olympics apparently.

Not quite so Primrose. The scheme was announced way back last year in July 2008, or thereabouts, and councils had until October 2008 to register an interest. It may well be that at individual council level the scheme is only just being 'made public' in your area.

The scheme is for two years only, after which the government are looking to local authorities to 'continue the good work' at their own expense.

Whilst it lasts, the scheme will allow anyone qualified by age and wherever they live, to swim at any pool owned by a participating council anywhere in the country.

Dave.

Oblivion

millie wrote: »

I thought they only got funding for their own council taxpayers, I am a Solihull resident so I will phone a Birmingham pool tomorrow and ask if I can use my pass in their pool, and get their idea on the rules.

The rules of the scheme are very specific Millie. No matter where you live, you are entitled to swim for free, if you meet the age qaulification, in any pool owned by any participating council during normal public access hours.

If they try to tell you differently, refer them to the DCMS website ...

http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/sport/5960.aspx

Dave.

tanith

Our local council are participating but I guess if they weren't I could just go to a neighbouring borough that is... I have been swimming twice a week so its going to be great to get it for free... if I go on the bus instead of driving I don't have to pay to park either:T