21-25 POOL WET LEISURE:Layout 1 9/4/08 16:24 Page 6
POOL & WET-LEISURE FOCUS
The group – incorporating NHS
Safety standards the key
London, Sport England, Youth
Sport Trust, and Transport for Leading leisure management company, Sport and Leisure
London, London 2012 and Management has appointed a National Health and Safety Training
London Food Board – will Manager, Martin Baker, who plans to raise lifeguarding standards
coordinate action on sport, across 30 swimming pools.
physical fitness, health and SLM, working in partnership with the IQL, has developed a
obesity across London in support Lifeguard Training and Competency Assessment Procedure and
of Ken Livingstone’s Health Training and Competency Assessment Plan. These strategies are in
Inequalities Strategy. place as part of a drive to progress poolside standards.
The Mayor said: “In London there Baker will facilitate a national programme of courses focusing on
are many programmes already creating new trainer assessors at each site and delivering the National
working to increase participation in Pool Lifeguard Qualifications.
sport or get Londoners eating Ben Beevers, SLM’s Group Health and Safety/Quality Manager,
healthier diets. But we need comments: “Martin’s appointment highlights SLM’s commitment to
coordinated action between health, colleague development. He will ensure that we have well trained resources
education, sport, transport services, within our company, delivering good quality training on a regular basis.”
urban planners and others.”
Swimming at
One fifth of children under 10 in
London are obese and around
Swimming link to aid
the forefront one quarter are overweight.
against obesity
“Levels of obesity are higher in
diabetes to be probed
poorer neighbourhoods and A new research programme is to people over the age of 60 have
Swimming is to be placed at the chances of good health are investigate the benefits of water type-2 diabetes. Physical activity
forefront of plans to attack worse for people on lower therapy, swimming and exercising is recognised as a major
obesity amongst children in incomes,” he added. in water on diabetes. therapeutic modality for type-2
London in the first co-ordinated “I want to see coordinated The British Diabetic Association diabetes. Unfortunately,
plan of its kind in the UK. action to improve Londoners’ said that a number of research adherence to traditional exercise
The Mayor of London Ken health long term, and this must programmes in the past had programmes is frequently poor.
Livingston is to establish a London- mean fighting poverty, poor hinted at the benefits of aquatic Dr. Guy Hornsby of the West
wide body to reduce levels of education and unemployment, as exercise in the treatment of type-2 Virginia University School of
childhood obesity in the capital in well as promoting healthy food, diabetes and that there was room Medicine, Morgantown, West
line with government targets. lifestyles and physical activity.” for more research. Virginia, was awarded a grant of
Advisors have reported they Consequently, the strategy calls “It is a move which we will $49,697 to study the
believe swimming to be the key for the NHS to boost spending in support and await to see any results psychological and physiological
fitness exercise which needs to be preventive services to promote from, “said a BDA spokesman. effects of land-versus-water-
promoted as part of the exercise physical and mental health and to In the US, the National Swimming based exercise with patients
element in the co-ordinated plan. improve access to primary care. Pool Foundation board of directors who have type-2 diabetes.
has awarded a grant that will Exercise and diet are the key
Axe falls on Minehead pool
explore health benefits unique to recommendations on the control
aquatic exercise and people who and its prevention of type-2
A Somerset swimming pool which a council said was not “financially are affected with diabetes. diabetes. Almost all studies so
viable” could now close. Campaigners said Aquasplash in Minehead There is a strong genetic far focus on land-based exercise
was closed temporarily after the pool developed a leak. Repairs were predisposition for type-2 diabetes programmes.
estimated to cost up to £15,000. West Somerset Council is due to but this disease also increases Since most diabetic patients
vote on whether to repair it or not. It is also believed Tesco wants to with age, excess weight, and are obese, water exercise is
use the site to expand its nearby store. Campaigner Elkie Winzer said inactivity. More than one in five ideal to reduce joint stress.
the nearest alternative pool was an hour’s drive from the town in
Taunton. “I have two sons aged three and five and they have had their
swimming lessons cancelled. West Somerset Council said it
recognised and acknowledged the local community’s desire to keep
Minehead’s Aquasplash leisure facility open. A spokesman said: “After
much work and research, it has been acknowledged by both parties
that all available options would leave the council, any potential partner
and the taxpayer at high financial risk. ”The costs of upkeep on the
ageing facility, which is currently closed due to leakage from the pool,
will also inevitably increase with time. He said a report would
recommend permanent closure.
Earlier this year plans to close a pool in Burnham-on-Sea were
delayed following a 6,642-name petition and protests by swimmers.
www.ukleisurenews.co.uk March / April 2008 UK LEISURE NEWS 25
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