3 - Dudley dives in to offer free swimming

Archived news release from 2008

 

Dudley Council has taken the plunge to offer free swimming for people over 60 by applying to the government’s free-swimming scheme.

 

It will be available during public swimming sessions at Crystal Leisure Centre in Stourbridge along with Dudley and Halesowen leisure centres and Coseley swimming pool.

 

“We have secured funding which will allow us to offer free swimming to people over 60 for two years from April 1 next year. Any scheme that will help improve the health of our older citizens is good, which is why I am giving this my support.

 

“The scheme will run for as long as the council receives government funding as, due to the enormous funding pressures on essential services, it would be wrong to commit this council to indefinite funding of an unsupported scheme.”

 

An annual government grant of £99,461 has been offered to Dudley Council for the 2009–10 and 2010–11 financial years to fund the costs associated with delivering and promoting free swimming for the over 60s.