Free swimming for young people during the summer holidays
Free swimming will be available to young people across Wirral this summer in a new council initiative aimed at easing cost-of-living pressures and promoting healthy lifestyles.
The free swimming scheme for young people aims to help families find affordable ways to keep children active and occupied during the school break and will be available for any timetabled public or family swim sessions which take place from Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm throughout August.
As well as providing a low-cost family activity, it will help reduce financial barriers that can prevent children from participating in sport and leisure activities.
Leader of Wirral Council, Cllr Paula Basnett, said:
We know that many families are continuing to feel the pressure of the rising cost of living, so it was important to me that we look for practical ways to provide support and help keep young people active over the summer.
This initiative gives children and young people the chance to enjoy free swimming sessions, discover our excellent leisure facilities and take part in positive, healthy activities throughout the school holidays.
As well as helping families save money and keeping boredom at bay during the long summer break, we hope it encourages more young people to make the most of the wide range of opportunities available at our leisure centres and develop healthy habits that continue long after the holidays have ended.
Cllr Jenny Johnson, chair of Wirral Council's Tourism, Communities, Culture & Leisure Committee, said:
Our leisure centres play a vital role in supporting the health and wellbeing of local communities and this initiative is a fantastic way of helping more young people access those facilities during the summer holidays.
Swimming is a fun, inclusive activity that offers both physical and mental health benefits. By removing the cost barrier, we hope many more children and families will be encouraged to take advantage of the excellent facilities we have across Wirral and help families enjoy an active and enjoyable school break. We are grateful for Public Health Funding to support this initiative.
Chair of the council's Children, Young People and Education Committee, Cllr Stephen Bennett, said:
The summer holidays should be a time when children and young people can stay active, socialise with friends and enjoy positive experiences, regardless of their family's financial circumstances.
We want every child in Wirral to have access to enriching opportunities over the summer, and this initiative complements the wider range of support and activities available for children and families during the holiday period.
The offer applies to public and family swimming sessions at council leisure facilities, subject to availability, pool programming, health and safety requirements, staffing levels, maximum pool capacity, supervision policies and booking arrangements. The council pools are at:
• Europa Pools Leisure Centre
• Leasowe Leisure Centre
• West Kirby Concourse
• Oval Leisure Centre
• Guinea Gap Leisure Centre (when the pools are reopened following maintenance)
Exclusions apply for specialist sessions and other programmed activities. Children under eight years old must be accompanied and supervised by a responsible adult. In line with existing junior swim policies, adults accompanying children aged 8 and over do not need to swim.
A booking process may be used at the pools where required to manage demand, capacity and safe operation.
More information on admissions policies can be found Swimming Pools FAQ’s - Active Wirral and details of the Holiday pool programme are available at: Swimming Holiday Timetables - Active Wirral
Additional information:
There is a range of additional offers and promotions including reduced prices on football pitches, Tag Active and Soft Play, Family Footgolf and Pitch and Putt etc, plus the HAF and Active Allsports Disability programme. All offers can be viewed here: Active Kids - Active Wirral
