By Bradley Bennette
The centuries-old leisure activity, swimming, is set to become another victim of the cost-of-living crisis.
Swimming pools around England are closing due to massive energy costs. With leisure centres charging more and more to keep up with rising costs for the services they provide, many consumers may struggle to cough up enough for free time activities.
Staying afloat post-Covid has been a struggling hurdle for the consumer to jump over. Returning
back to normal activities may be put on halt as the Government has revealed that swimming
pools have been left out of the ‘Energy Bills Discount Scheme’ which will come into effect from April 2023.
Consumers to make up the difference
Leisure centres have been excluded from extra support, meaning that consumers will have to pay the price.
“The price of the membership used to be cheaper, now it’s £65. I can afford it, but what about the parents who want to bring their two or more children? It’s now £5.50 at the door for the little ones,” said primary school teacher Ludovic Chassis, 46, who was taking children from a local swimming pool on a school trip.
Seventy-nine percent of UK pools are projected to close within six months as heating Britain’s swimming pools could rise to £1.25 billion this year, a 150% increase from 2019, said companydebt.com.
Speculation and confusion arises as many complain why the government has left swimming
pools and leisure centres out of the scheme, especially as swimming is an activity that greatly benefits society.
Children at risk
One in three children now risk leaving primary school unable to swim. Petitions such as #SaveOurPools have reached over 50,000 signatures, urging the government to revisit their decision.
Swimming spans a variety of benefits, according to the US Center for Disease Control. Health improvements in arthritis, decreasing anxiety in both men and women and the maintenance of bone health of post-menopausal women are just some of the reasons swimming is beneficial to health.
“I think it’s a pivotal skill, needed for survival, knowing that pools are shutting, its worrying as life and death moments could lie between swimming,” said Wayne Gooderham, a writer.
Mental health has been one of the many challenges during this cost-of-living crisis, and swimming
may be one of the many coping mechanisms citizens of our economy are using. Gooderham added that: “As a freelancer, having no work is difficult, so participating in activities can calm my mind.”
The mental health charity Mind says that “Certain situations about money might trigger mental problems such as anxiety, you might not be able to afford to buy the stuff to stay well.” Centres are urging the government to reverse its decision or face closure of many sport facilities.
Filmmaker Ed Accura made a film called Blacks Can’t Swim, saying how important it is for all children to learn how to swim from an early age. “I initially believed it was all about me, my personal journey and inability to swim but eventually realised that the figures indicate otherwise. This is a generation long issue with millions of lives at stake,” he said in publicity for the film.
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