Completed petition Protect leisure centres and swimming pools from closure during the current energy crisis
Swimming pools and leisure centres across the country are under threat as the energy crisis impacts communities across the nation. These facilities provide an essential service for the people of Wales, and are vital to the country's wellbeing.
We, the undersigned, call on the Senedd and Welsh Government to recognise the vulnerability of swimming pools by providing a ring-fenced package of financial aid above and beyond the Final Local Government Settlement to ensure swimming pools remain open.
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40% of council areas are at risk of losing their leisure centre(s) or seeing reduced services at their leisure centre(s) before 31 March 2023
Three quarters (74%) of council areas are classified as ‘unsecure’, meaning there is risk of the closure of leisure centres and/or reduced services before 31 March 2024. (UK Active data: https://www.ukactive.com/news/forty-per-cent-of-council-areas-at-risk-of-leisure-centre-and-swimming-pool-closures-and-restrictions-before-april-without-immediate-support/)
61% of Welsh Primary School children want to swim more (Sport Wales School Sport Survey 2022)
Only 42% of children in Years 3-6 can swim 25m unaided in Wales (Source: Swim Wales Provider Audit, 2022)
Powys council to use cash reserves to keep pools open (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64010393)
80% of Community Leisure UK members are at financial risk (https://communityleisureuk.org/news/sos-plea-to-chancellor/)
234,000 Welsh adults want to swim more (National Survey for Wales 2021)
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