Funding set for Barrow swimming pool after half-term rescues

Barrow Park Leisure Centre says the 10p swims offer a vital opportunity to improve swimming skills

Two rescues had to be carried out at a leisure centre during a half-term swimming initiative.

Westmorland and Furness Council will fund a scheme to provide swimming lessons at Barrow Park Leisure Centre after the rescues highlighted "issues with swimming competence" in the area.

The council has been recommended to grant Barrow Forward, which runs the leisure centre, £38,318.

Lifeguards had to intervene after two children "lost track of their depth".

The two separate incidents happened during the February half term, when the leisure centre was offering swimming sessions for 10p to families.

A spokesperson for Barrow Forward said the incidents were not of a serious nature.

"The team used all their training to successfully assist the two children to safety on both occasions.

"After receiving first aid, both children returned to swimming and did not require any further medical treatment."

They added that the 10p swimming initiative gave children a "vital" opportunity to improve their competence.

'Support children'

A report prepared ahead of the Furness locality board meeting on Monday, which will decide on the funding, said: "The majority of the participants [of the 10p swim scheme] were unable to go in the deep end as they could not pass the swim test required.

"Therefore, there is a need to provide an additional tailored offer to support children who need extra swimming sessions working with the schools in the priority wards to support children with swimming."

It added £6,600 would be allocated to repeat the 10p swim and food initiative in the May half term at Barrow Park Leisure Centre.

A further £31,718 would go towards a new "fit and fed" scheme, which would consist of a breakfast club and swim, as well as a tea-time club and swim for children identified through the schools as needing additional swimming sessions.

A pilot for the breakfast club and swim has been running two sessions per week, and the leisure centre now wants to extend it to four sessions over the school term.

Additional reporting by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.