Thursday, 31 March 2022
Our Energise Luton holiday camp teams were surprised during our Summer and Christmas holiday camps at the number of children who couldn’t swim. And so, during the February half term, we tasked our leisure centres with allocating free spaces for children who may not be able to take advantage of our fantastic swimming lessons due to cost.
Working with the Hydra teams, Business and Projects Manager, Penny Kelly, liaised with local schools to invite children who would benefit from free lessons.
Over the course of the half term we welcomed these children into our swimming pools, and were humbled by their reactions. Some of the children had never been in a swimming pool before and all of them thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
At Lewsey Sports Park Pool, Joy Okoghenu, mother of three, was thrilled to bring son Joseph to his first swimming lesson. Coming from a family of non-swimmers, and having no previous experience of lessons, Joy confirmed that cost was definitely a barrier to taking her son to to learn to swim.
Like Joy, Sheveta Dhenami also brought her children along to gain some swimming experience, and similarly comes from a family of non-swimmers. Sheveta commented “Swimming for children is so important, not just because it is a fun activity, but because it is a life skill.”
Lea Manor Recreation Centre’s Hydra Co-ordinator Andy McCormick commented: “It was really rewarding to welcome these children for free – we had one family with three young children, all of whom had never been in a pool. And they loved it!”
At Inspire: Luton Sports Village, Councillor Khtija Malik visited to watch the children “It’s fantastic to see so many young children having the opportunity to swim during such difficult times, “ she commented...
This exercise was funded by the National Leisure Recovery Fund grant and Active Luton is looking at ways to offer this opportunity again as part of its commitment to inclusive access for everyone in Luton.