PLUNGING TO NEW DEPTHS
Leisure bosses have come up with a novel approach to implement the Government's free swimming initiative for children – by banning kids from the pool.
Youngsters have been told they are not welcome at swimming pools in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire at dozens of sessions each week. Outraged parents have been told their children are barred because leisure centre bosses fear a massive rise in the number of children swimming for free will mean a drop in adults who do pay.
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Earlier this week, the Western Daily Press reported on how some West councils had rejected cash for a much- vaunted Government scheme to help under-16s swim for free. But now we can reveal that even in the areas where councils took up the free swimming scheme, time- tables have been manipulated so they are effectively banned for most of the week.
One furious mum, whose two sons were turned away from their local pool for their regular Wednesday evening swim, said she initially thought it was a bad April Fool's joke.
Sarah Bennett said the bosses of the leisure centre company were cynically protecting their profits and going against the spirit of the free swim initiative.
The scale of the banning orders is immense. One leisure centre firm, DC Leisure, runs nine swimming pools in west Wiltshire, north Wiltshire and Exeter, as well as one in Dorset and others in Portishead and Clevedon, near Bristol.
As well as barring under 16s from all lane swimming sessions across the board – effectively ending the regular practice sessions for any youngster with Olympic aspirations – subtle and unannounced changes to the pools' timetables have seen many open public swim sessions replaced by 'adults only public swim sessions', and sessions specifically for children have either been axed or had their hours cut.
The effects of the changes mean the number of sessions where children can enjoy free swimming are cut to just a handful a week. Furious parents were left with tearful children after being turned away on the first evening.
In North Wiltshire, for example, there are a total of 44 timetabled sessions a week across four DC Leisure pools, where under 16s are now barred, with a similar story across the rest of the West.
Mum Sarah Bennett said she was furious at the ban. She brought her two sons George and Archie for their regular swim on Wednesday night at her local pool in Malmesbury, Wiltshire.
She said: "I thought at first it was an April Fool's joke. I simply couldn't believe it.
"I was outraged. I try to make fitness important to the boys, and I do circuit training while they are swimming. So there we were on the first day of the great free swimming plan and my sons were sitting doing nothing, watching me exercising."
DC Leisure, whose motto is 'more people, more active, more often', said the firm saw the free swimming initiative as "very positive".
Group swim director Mark Haslam said: "DCL see this central Government initiative as a very positive move to increase participation and meet their objective of two million people more active by 2012.
"There are a number of challenges in delivering free swimming. The most challenging is to ensure a balanced programme in busy pools, ensuring those users who do not benefit from the scheme are not disadvantaged."
But it appeared last night that DC Leisure had not informed the new unitary authority in Wiltshire – for which it runs 10 pools – of the timetable changes.
A spokesman for Wiltshire Council, who admitted DC Leisure had not informed them of the timetable changes, said: "We have spoken to DC Leisure and they have assured us they will amend the wording of their literature to ensure sessions are for all age groups.
"We will continue to work with them to make sure that everyone is able to swim in their pools."
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by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Monday, April 06 2009, 7:07PM
“:| Yes, that's quite appropriate. PLUNGING TO NEW DEPTHS. . Finance is clearly not your best subject.
You could try Mentholatum Deep Relief Gel.”
by Justin, Cornwall
Monday, April 06 2009, 4:45PM
“If there's one thing for certain in life Charles,you were blessed with having a acute keenness to be a pain in the a***. Especially to me.”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Monday, April 06 2009, 12:21PM
“:) Luckily some of us were blessed with perspicacity, and take our roles as luminaries very seriously. You both have my sympathy”
by Justin, Cornwall
Sunday, April 05 2009, 11:52PM
“How correct you are AG. I salute you 1000%. Charles is a product of a indoctrinated & controled education system. They just carry on producing the same clones who never question the world around them. It's called an enclosed "brainwashed" mind set. Very sad!”
by a g rawlings, truro
Sunday, April 05 2009, 9:21PM
“I wish I had the same education as CH, I would have made it as a politician with such a vast knowledge of our nations history. I must confess he never gets an answer wrong, have a guess why? Yes your right he cannot answer, hence the reason he is highly educated and always correct.
He would be ideal as a leader
of the puppet party, which slogan is, "do what I tell you, and never question me."”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Sunday, April 05 2009, 8:45PM
“:| I am sure everyone must remember the story of Ern. . Ern's family were all very proud of him. . He had been called up to defend his country, and so when the big day came they all went to see his Passing-Out parade. . . It was a beautiful summer's day and they were sat with all the other proud families listening to the beat of the marching band, when suddenly Ern's kid brother Adge jumped to his feet, . . "Look Mum!" he shouted. . "Everyone's out of step except ar Ern!". . Luckily everyone just smiled and the band kept playing and a good time was had by all.”
by a g rawlings, truro
Sunday, April 05 2009, 7:50PM
“Yet again we have certain people who are constantly are telling us how the EU is nothing short of a dictatorship. I again confess that the EU is not run in the best interest of the Europeans.
I have tried to explain to Robert about the rubbish him and CH talk when blaming the EU for the lack of democracy. I have said on numerous blogs that they should read our real history. Then and only then will they begin to see that democracy is just a false make believe. May I ask those two who have a closed mind to the real world and how it has been conducted. Example 1: House of Lords any votes for them? 2:Monarchs past and present, any votes for them? Wars any votes? Free trade,any votes for that? So would the both of you get your case in better order so you can defend your claims on the EU, while ignoring our past and present government's conduct. If both of you can open an honest debate I would be honoured to turn up.”
by Justin, Cornwall
Sunday, April 05 2009, 6:33PM
“I oppose the very nature of the New World Order or One World Govt. This will NOT be to the benefit of nations or human beings. This will be the beginning of the end of all our freedoms on earth....forever!. Hello Jerry. Charles just doesn't understand what all this means for us & future generations to come. This isn't about left or right in phoney politics,it's about the elite and the bankers controling and micro-managing everything we do under the control/power of fascistic corporations & the global elite,rather than people having the RIGHT to govern their own destinies. It's called the human journey.”
by Jerry Jones, Dorset
Sunday, April 05 2009, 5:37PM
“Now Charles, are you lining yourself up Ambassador to America if UKIP wins the general election?
That could prove to be just what we wanted. Complete meltdown.”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Sunday, April 05 2009, 11:59AM
“|: FWJ, you are just repeating the propaganda Gordon Brown would like everyone to believe. . . Since the repeal of the Class-Stiegel Act in the US, people had been queuing to take advantage of the fact. . . The push to give the Bank of England independence was always hotly contested by the Conservatives, but it was one of New-Labour's first actions and was then hailed by most., who were mostly 'uninitiated'. (But very few would then dare criticise as 'growth' continued.) The push for demutualisation of the Building Societies soon followed turning them into Banks. . It allowed them to use the Nations savings to speculate for massive short term gains. . The rest is history.
A previous quote:- "The Glass-Stiegel Act was enacted in the 1930's as a "fire wall" between banking operations and the stock brokerage business. Banks were not allowed in to sell stocks, while brokerage firms were prohibited from lending and other bank activities. About 10 years ago I remember Congress thought they were smarter than their predecessors of six decades before....and repealed Glass-Stiegel. I also recall cramming for my NASD exams and how that act was thought of as one of the basic outcomes of the Great Depression.....as speculation by banks in the stock business along with lending practices by stock brokerages were problems that made that pandemic worse." . by Anna Liese U.S.A.
No one has ever opposed nations cooperating and working together to solve problems. . What NONE of us need is this continuous flow of DIRECTIVES from unelected, over-paid bureaucrats.”