CAMPAIGNERS today launched a bid – backed by the Dorset Echo – to persuade councillors to provide free swimming for children and pensioners.

Parents and pensioners’ groups were joined by a cabinet minister in calls for Weymouth and Portland Borough Council to reconsider their rejection of the Government scheme for under-16s and over-60s.

Andy Burnham, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has branded the council ‘short sighted’, and called for them to join the 82 per cent of eligible local authorities who have signed up to the two-year scheme.

Norah Riley-Smith, a volunteer at Age Concern, has decided to start a petition to convince the council that the vast majority of people back the scheme.

She said: “It’s an absolutely brilliant idea to provide free swimming because it’s the best form of exercise that you can do.

“I would back it all the way for any age group as I really do think exercise is essential.

“For anybody with arthritis and other problems it’s the best thing you can do.

“I’ll certainly be giving this scheme my backing and getting as many signatures as possible.”

Under the scheme, councils had to sign up for a grant for free swimming for the over-60s to qualify for a grant for the under-16s.

West Dorset District Council and Purbeck District Council have signed up to the scheme but Weymouth and Portland Borough Council voted down the proposal.

Dad Matt Chalker, 31, of Westhill Road, Wyke Regis, takes his son Jaden, three, and stepson Billy, 11, to Weymouth Swimming Pool.

He called for the council to have a rethink and said: “It would make it a lot better for parents to be able to spend the money on other things.

“And if most of the rest of the country is getting free swimming then why can’t we have it?

“We should be encouraging people to get in the water and take up swimming.”

Swimmer Mia Haden, 10, said: “Most people can’t afford to go swimming and more of my friends would come if it was free so I think it’s a good idea.”

Kirsty Sibley, 20, of Marshallsay Road, Weymouth, takes her daughter Kacey Lankshear, three, swimming and said it would be a boost to help more children get fit.

She said: “They say child obesity is increasing but kids are not being encouraged to change.

“I have friends who don’t work and don’t bring their children swimming.

“But with this they would not have to worry about the money.”

Bill Munro, 78, of New Street, Weymouth, backed the scheme.

He said: “When they suggested it I obviously thought it was a good thing. I see people my age and I think ‘pick yourself up’ as they left work like I did but that was the end of it. They don’t exercise any more.”

However, Councillor Mike Goodman, chairman of the borough council’s management committee, said the problem is that the Government refused to include Boscawen Swimming Pool in the scheme as it is not owned by the council.

He said: “Anything is possible.

“But we would have to shut down Boscawen if you took away all of their paying customers.

“We asked if we could provide the free swimming at Weymouth and Boscawen and they said no so it’s not us being difficult it is the Government.

“The trustees of the pool asked us not to accept the scheme.

Mr Goodman also criticised the scheme for only guaranteeing funding for two years.

He added: “How do you break the news that you are going to withdraw the money for it?

“We are sceptical because of the free bus fares scheme for the over-60s. The Government promised a free service and we are now taking £490,000 out of the rates next year.

“To have a minister coming down and saying we are short-changing the public beggars belief because we pay for Boscawen and we already subsidise swimming for pensioners and those who have a medical reason for swimming.”

Borough council leisure spokesman, councillor Brendan Webster, said he believed fears that Boscawen would be affected ‘might be exaggerated’.

He said: “My personal view is that the Knightsdale Road pool in Weymouth and the Portland pool serve geographically different areas.

“A lot of people were afraid of the impact on Boscawen but the centre does not have the information on its customer base.

“Increasing the amount of people who do swimming may benefit in the long-run.”

Mr Webster said the department for culture, media and sport needs to discuss the issue with the council again to find out how much Dorset County Council and the Primary Care Trust would invest to offset the damage to Boscawen Swimming Pool.

He added: “With that help there is a possibility that we could look at it again.

“We need to be able to discuss the issues and not just have a take it or leave it offer. But we need to make sure we don’t have too many adverse effects.”

  • The petition is available at the Age Concern shop in Hope Street, Weymouth. If anyone would like a copy of the petition to gather signatures in their business, shop, workplace or community please give the Echo newsdesk a ring on 01305 830995.