Julia Lopez MP has welcomed the launch of the Conservative Government’s Swimming Pool Support Fund as Central Park Leisure Centre is set to benefit from £141,981. Swimming is a valuable life skill for people of all ages and is extremely beneficial for people’s mental and physical wellbeing. In addition, Swim England’s latest Value of Swimming report showed that water-based activity, including swimming, helps generate social value of £2.4 billion a year.
The Conservative Government’s investment of £20 million in swimming pools and leisure facilities across England , administered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, means that 196 leisure centres and swimming pools in 103 local authorities will benefit from boosted funding, supporting over 23 million swims a year.
The Swimming Pool Support Fund was first announced at the March Budget. This first £20 million of a total £60 million of funding is going to the swimming pools and leisure centres most at risk of closure or significant service reduction and will be used to help with the recent rise in energy costs, such as paying towards immediate maintenance costs, heating, and pool chemicals.
The Conservative Government is continuing to deliver the long-term health facilities to support opportunities for people to get fit and healthy, helping to cut obesity rates and get millions more people active.
Commenting, Julia Lopez MP said:
‘I know how important swimming is for many people and the Government recognises that swimming pools and leisure facilities have struggled with rising energy costs.
That’s why, when the Government opened the first round of the Swimming Pool Support Fund, I immediately contacted Havering Council to encourage them to make use of this important support. I am very pleased that Central Park in Harold Hill will benefit from £141,981 with the nearby Sapphire Ice and Leisure in Romford also benefitting from £174,828, providing a combined investment of £316,809 in Havering.
This investment follows closely from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s joint investment of over £390,000 with the Lawn Tennis Association to improve tennis courts in Havering.
Both investments are part of the Government’s broader strategy of supporting grassroots sports facilities with more than £400 million in funding in order to achieve our target of getting 3.5 million more people active by 2030.’
For more information on the Get Active Strategy click here
