22-25 POOL WET LEISURE:Layout 1 8/2/08 17:05 Page 2
POOL & WET-LEISURE FOCUS
Pool closures threaten Everyday Swim projects
to end Olympic dreams gets MP’s support
Olympic dreams could be seen as typical of the trend The ASA’s Everyday Swim Half Time Report was unveiled to MPs at a
shattered by the closure of across the UK. House of Commons reception. Everyday Swim is a national pilot project,
swimming pools all over the The Amateur Swimming led by the Amateur Swimming Association and funded by Sport England,
country, according to top Association said it was deeply which aims to break down the barriers to swimming and provide best
swimming coaches. concerned by the recent trend practice examples to be used across the country. Sport England has
The pools are closing, reducing in seeing local communities committed to invest £3m into Everyday Swim over a three-year period.
opening times and taking away close pools. Around 30 MPs attended the event, including Sports Minister Gerry
training facilities for youngsters “We have now the chance to Sutcliffe, Shadow Minister for Sport & the Olympics Hugh Robertson and
who have been fired up with inspire youngsters to go out and Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt.
Olympic ambition and now can’t swim and have that one chance ASA Swimming Activity Manager Kate Sargant was delighted with
get adequate use of facilities. to swim competitively and who the response from MPs and hopes the report will encourage others to
Phil Melhuish, Head Coach of knows, win fame and glory use best practice from Everyday Swim and review their approach to
Bridgend Swim Squad, said through swimming. Local swimming delivery.
competitive swimming is in crisis community pools where people “I’m really pleased with the high level of interest from MPs which
all over the UK because there can just go and swim and learn reflects on the strength of the project and the value of what we’re
are not enough pools. to swim are being closed down learning from it,” she said. “Not only are our interim findings important
The pool was closed without and this is a serious threat to the for swimming, but there’s a lot of good practice that can be shared
warning at the end of 2007 for way we are trying to instil across other sports and activities.”
work on its heating system, but Olympic ambitions in
an inspection revealed a small youngsters. Take away the pool
quantity of asbestos beneath and the dream has no chance to
Chlorine error closes pool
the insulation cladding in the even start to become a reality,” A Scottish swimming pool has levels were brought back to an
boiler room. The closure is being said a spokesman. opened to the public again after a acceptable level.
staff error left it with dangerous Aberdeenshire Council
Wolverhampton success story
levels of chlorine for five days. confirmed last night that human
Turriff Swimming Pool was error had caused the problem.
More than 500,000 people used Delighted bosses say the closed after staff detected a high A spokesman said too much
Wolverhampton’s new £12m success of the centre, near the chlorine level during their daily chlorine had been mixed with the
pool in its first year. The centre at now abandoned Healthland morning test before opening. The water while the pool was closed
Bentley Bridge, Wednesfield has leisure centre, has exceeded pool was closed for health and as staff carried out a ‘back wash’
proved a hit since it opened in everyone’s expectations. safety reasons until the chlorine during the festive period.
December 2006. The centre, which replaced
A target of 400,000 visitors in Bushbury Pool and Heathtown
Experts claim no
to, and results from, the recent
the first year was set but, with Leisure Centre, opened its doors
link with swimming
workshop on childhood asthma
45,000 to 50,000 people now to non-members at the weekend, and environmental exposures at
using the facility each month, offering the chance to try out
and asthma
public indoor swimming pools,
that figure has been smashed. equipment and fitness sessions. It is very difficult to diagnose held in Belgium.
asthma in the first place - let alone She said it becomes even harder
Goodhew leads the way
attribute it to a particular activity to isolate swimming as a causal
such as swimming. That’s the factor when you take into account
Olympian Duncan Goodhew, of have so much fun. In the water, view given to delegates at a the fact that many parents send
the national pilot project it’s the most foreign environment Disinfection By-Products Forum in asthmatic children to swimming as
Everyday Swim, has launched we have on this planet - New South Wales, Australia. sport, because swimming causes
an initiative at Dewsbury Sports astronauts train in it because it Dr Judy LaKind, Associate significantly less airway resistance
Centre. The gold medallist mimics zero gravity. It’s an Professor at both Pennsylvania than other types of exercise.
joined a group of schoolchildren extraordinary feeling and the State College of Medicine and the However, that does not mean the
from Ravenshall School for closest we get to being in space. University of Maryland School of association doesn’t exist. Again, the
games in the water and also it stimulates all the senses. Medicine looked at the question of issue of hygiene was raised as one
swam with a group of OWLS “The Everyday Swim project is whether swimming at indoor pools way to help combat the production
members – the Over 50’s the first of its kind, we are looking increased the risk of development of dangerous DBPs.
Weekday Leisure Scheme. in a systematic and methodical of new childhood asthma. The Forum attracted
Goodhew said: “Why is way at how to get more people She found there was no proven delegates from around Australia
swimming so popular? As well involved in swimming and other consistent association between the and New Zealand to listen to
as being great exercise, if you pool activities. As we learn these prevalence of asthma and swimming international presentations and
put a child in the water, they lessons, we can share it pool use during childhood. discuss issues of public health in
think it’s incredible and they throughout the whole country.” She reported on the background recreational swimming pools.
22 UK LEISURE NEWS January / February 2008 www.ukleisurenews.co.uk
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