ANALYSIS & COMMENT
He adds: “Even then, pools cost a lot to run – but we can’t start charging £10–15 a swim to cover those costs, because then it becomes a rich person’s sport. There are such sports, of course, but swimming is meant to be for everyone. It’s part of the national curriculum. We’re an island nation with a vast inland network of rivers, lakes and canals: it’s important that everyone can swim. “And so we need to wake up and realise that to achieve this, it’s essential that we have good quality pools and a financial model in place that enables public subsidy. It shouldn’t just be about who can provide swimming the cheapest. Pools are too vital to the community to go down that path where things can go wrong. “I believe the future of pools should be much more widely discussed and debated. What is the real need in terms of numbers and types of pools? What should the national provision look like? At GLL we know what works and what is needed, but it’s clear that in many places, councils simply aren’t investing adequately.”
It’s essential that we have good quality pools and a financial model in place that enables public subsidy.
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STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2023
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