(Title Image: BBC Wales)
An independent report commissioned on behalf of Sport Wales has recommended an overhaul of one of post-devolution Wales’ flagship policies – the free swimming scheme.
At present, the under-16s and over-60s can swim free of charge. The review found that participation had increased significantly since 2008 and there was a “compelling case” for maintaining the scheme as it has proven popular and was a good source of exercise.
However, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) argued that councils have become too reliant on grant funding to maintain the programme, with the review also recommending that due to a fall in the number of sessions provided for young people, the cost of the scheme could be halved to £1.5million a year.
