Making Waves In Ealing

---

More money for local sports facilities

Boris Johnson is planning to invest £7.5 million in community sports facilities, to make Londoners more active and healthy.

He made the announcement in Ealing and was joined by Gladiator stars Doom and Enigma to celebrate the achievements of youngsters learning to swim at a new mobile pool.

The learner pool at Greenwood Primary School, Northolt, is part of the Mayor of London’s PlaySport London: Make a Splash scheme.

The Mayor said:

''Swimming is a fantastic sport, great exercise, and also wonderful fun. Yet finding a place to swim is not as simple as going out for a jog.

We've taken the plunge with Make a Splash and as it streams across the capital thousands more Londoners – whatever their age, novice or otherwise – will be able to practise their strokes.

This is only the start – we will be confirming further details of our £7.5m investment in community sports facilities over the coming months, which will mean many more Londoners will be able to try out a sport and get more active.''

Councillor Phil Taylor, Cabinet Member for Customer and Community Services, said: “We went to see one of these pools in Brent earlier in the year and when we saw what could be achieved we made sure that Ealing jumped to it to get this pool for Northolt.  Thanks to the Mayor's programme our fabulous pool at the new Northolt Leisure Centre will have lots of swimmers queuing up to use it when it opens in late January.“

Youngsters from the school and other people who want to learn to swim or build their confidence in the water can have lessons at the temporary pool until 19 December.

The learners' pool is exclusively for learning-to-swim lessons but the council is continuing to offer free recreational swimming to people aged 60 and over, and youngsters aged 16 and under at Acton Swimming Baths, Dormers Wells Leisure Centre and Gurnell Leisure Centre. Swimming lessons can also be booked at these centres.

Classes start for children from three months old, and youngsters up to five years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Schools use the pool in the week until 4pm and other children’s classes are from 4-6pm. Adults learning to swim can use the pool from 6-8pm. There is limited access at weekends.

 

To book a place or for more information visit www.makeasplashlondon.org, email bookings@makeasplashlondon.org or call 020 7138 3235.

 

 

 

October 26, 2009