Subsidised swimming for Under-16s
SWIMMING for under-16s in Inverclyde will be subsidised by the council for the next year.
It comes after members of the local authority’s education and communities committee unanimously backed a scheme that will allow for the continuation of free swims through until 2022.
Under the new system, children and young people will be able to register, without charge, for an under-16s swim card from Inverclyde Leisure (IL), which operates local pools.
The scheme will be subsidised by the council by paying the leisure trust for each swim as opposed to a set annual sum.
Councillor Jim Clocherty, Inverclyde Council’s education and communities convener and IL board member, said: “It’s important that we do all we can to encourage our young people to get active, especially after a year of disruption to usual activities, and keep costs down for families.
“Health and wellbeing has been important during the pandemic but will take on greater significance in the Covid-19 recovery process.
“The under-16 swim card will hopefully be something families take advantage of when the time is right.”
Swimming for under-16s has been subsidised by Inverclyde Council since 2005 but numbers have declined in recent years.
The new swim card will allow the local authority and IL to monitor usage levels.
It will be valid from April 2021 until the end of March 2022 when the scheme will be reviewed.
Councillors approved the proposals at a meeting on Tuesday (9 March).