Free swim sessions extended at Sandwell leisure centres

A total of £368,000 will spent on running the programme at the borough's leisure centres.

More than 16,000 children and adults have taken up the offer since it was first introduced in 2013.

The council says the scheme has proven successful and bosses say they are keen for it to continue.

It was first launched to help cut obesity rates following a rise in the number of overweight youngsters in the borough.

The scheme allows adults, who are Sandwell residents, aged 60 and over to swim without charge during public swimming sessions, for seven days per week before 1pm, all year round.

While children and teenagers can swim for free during school holidays.

The free sessions are currently available at Haden Hill, Langley, Smethwick, Tipton and West Bromwich leisure centres.

Swimmers will also be able to take up the offer at the new Wednesbury Leisure Centre when it opens later this year.

Director of health Jyoti Atri said: "Since the Free Swimming in Sandwell initiative was launched in June 2013, 2,812 adults and 13,229 children and young people who meet the criteria have become a member of the scheme.

"Each adult member has, on average, made use of the scheme twice a month, and it has delivered, to the end of December 2015, an 85 per cent increase in the number of swimming visits made by children and young people in Sandwell."

The scheme will cost £184,000 in 2015/16 and the same amount again in 2016/17.

The borough's leisure centres are run by Sandwell Leisure Trust and PfP Leisure.

Councillors will discuss the free swimming scheme at a meeting on Wednesday next week.

The free swimming programme is one of the reasons for a rise in visitor numbers to the borough's leisure centres, bosses say.

There were around 1.6 million visits logged between April 2013 and March 2014 – up by six per cent on the previous year.

Around £38.5 million has already been spent by the authority on building three new leisure centres in Tipton , Oldbury and West Bromwich, while more than £7m is also currently being spent on a new centre in Wednesbury, which will open later this year.

The new complex in Wednesbury will have a 25-metre pool, a learner pool, two dance studios and a 100-station fitness suite and also includes a new sports hall. The digging for the main pool and learner pool has been completed and work has now started on the concrete shell.