Adam Peaty says the Government owes it to the nation’s children and the vulnerable in society to save crisis-hit pools and leisure centres.
Better Leisure, which runs 268 centres across the UK, this week reduced its opening hours due to spiralling energy costs. The move follows Freedom Leisure, a charitable and not-for-profit leisure trust which teaches thousands of children to swim on a weekly basis, announcing the temporary closure of some of its pools after seeing its annual energy bill nearly triple.
Swim England fears 40 per cent of local authorities will see closures or service reductions in the coming months, with 100 pools or more shutting.
Their #SaveOurPools petition, calling on ministers to extend the Energy Bill Relief Scheme beyond March 2023, has so far had 10,000 signatories. And now legend Peaty, fresh from receiving his OBE for services to swimming and mental health, has lent his voice.
"It becomes an issue when swimming pools are having to turn down the temperature so as to afford the energy and entry fees are a lot higher to get into a pool," he said.
“Look at the amount of kids coming out of primary schools unable to swim (a report in 2021 predicted the number would top one million in the next five years).
“We’re an island nation. We’ve got the sea and there are rivers, canals and lakes everywhere. It’s absolutely disgusting that the Government isn’t doing more."
Peaty, a three-time Olympic champion who won his fourth Commonwealth gold this summer, has his focus on the 2024 Paris Games but worries the inspiration provided by Team GB is in danger of going to waste.
“What’s the point of doing all that if it can’t trickle down to the normal working people or those who are potentially the next generation of the sport," he said.
“To protect that we need facilities open and we need pools in good condition.”
It is more than empowering the next generation, Peaty adds, pointing to those who depend on water for their mental and physical well-being.
“A lot of people rely on swimming,” he said. “People who need the water because it’s not weight bearing.
“It’s also perhaps the only place where they feel comfortable to do exercise. Not just for physical reasons but for mental health as well.
“For me, in my own journey, the pool is the only place where I feel silent and I feel myself. So I do understand a lot of people rely on those pools to get away from everyday life.
"We need a massive change in our approach. Swimming is not just sport, it’s so much more than that.”
Adam Peaty drives the CUPRA Born, the brand’s first fully-electric performance-driven hatch. For more information visit www.cupraofficial.co.uk
