Swimming pool closures put children ‘at risk of drowning’
Urgent warning issued over swimming pool closures
- Young people in the UK face a heightened risk of drowning due to the widespread closure of public swimming pools, a union has warned.
- Approximately 500 public swimming pools have closed since 2010, with nearly half of these closures occurring in the last five years, significantly affecting council-owned facilities.
- The GMB union attributes these closures to the impact of austerity measures by the previous Conservative government, stating that a fundamental childhood joy and basic life skills are being denied to thousands of youngsters.
- Research indicates that 30 per cent of children in Year 7 are unable to confidently swim 25 metres, an increase from 27 per cent in 2017/18.
- A coalition of local government and leisure sector leaders is urging the government to increase funding for community assets, highlighting that 60 per cent of existing swimming pools are beyond their expected lifespan or require refurbishment.