Sharp rise in young people using leisure centres

Bosses say its thanks to a scheme which offers free swimming to children during the school holidays.

The new figures show that there has been a 62 per cent increase in the number of under 16s visiting pools in the borough over the past two financial years, since the pilot project was first launched, rising from fewer then 24,000 visits to more than 38,500 at the latest count.

The free swimming sessions are available to children who live in Sandwell during all school holidays at Sandwell Leisure Trust centres, including Haden Hill, Smethwick, Langley and Tipton.

Sandwell Council's leisure boss Councillor Paul Moore said: "This is great news.

"I'm really pleased that the free swimming scheme has translated into a massive surge in popularity for our centres.

"Not only does this save parents and children money during the holidays, it's also helping kids to stay fit and active.

"The Easter holidays are here, so I'd like to see lots more under 16s getting signed up so they can enjoy free swimming after the schools break up." The news comes after the new Tipton Leisure centre celebrated its first birthday last week.

More than 230,000 visitors have been through its doors since it opened last year.

The centre in Alexandra Road now has more than 7,500 members using the pools, gym and fitness classes which are held there.

And it has proved so popular with visitors, staff have introduced additional public swimming times in its 25-metre, six-lane pool, extra swimming lessons and extra fitness classes to meet with demand.

The £8million centre, which opened in April last year, was the first to be built in Sandwell since the 1970s.

It replaced the ageing Tipton Swimming Centre, which was opened way back in 1933.

It was built as part of a large investment in leisure in the borough, with the £18 million Portway Lifestyle Centre on Newbury Lane, Oldbury, also opening last year, and the £12.5 million West Bromwich centre nearing completion.

The West Bromwich Leisure Centre is set to open in the summer, and is expected to attract 600,000 visitors a year.

The contract to build a £7.1 million health centre in Moor Street, Wednesbury, has also been signed, with work set to start on that project in the summer.

Swimming sessions for under 16s at Sandwell Leisure Trust centres usually cost £2.10, and for under eights it is £1.10.

To sign up to the free swimming scheme, all parents need to do is first register their children on the Sandwell Leisure Trust website and then pick up a pass on their next visit to their local centre.

Anyone over the age of 60 who lives in Sandwell can also register for free swimming at any Sandwell Leisure Centre before 1pm on any day.

To register for the scheme, go to www.slt-leisure.co.uk/free-swim ming-in-sandwell.