Young swimmers whose club was on the brink of folding before their pool was saved from closure have now earned the “chance of a lifetime” to compete on the international stage.
Gateshead Synchronised Swimming Club was facing the prospect of collapse when Dunston Leisure Centre was earmarked to be shut down under controversial cuts by Gateshead Council. But a U-turn to protect the Dunston facility, albeit at the expense of Birtley’s pool, has allowed the successful club to survive and scale new heights.
After the huge relief of surviving the axe, the synchro club is now raising funds so it can send 18 of its talented members to show their skills to the world. They have been invited to take part in the Doubled Sports International Artistic Swimming Championship in Dubai this December, an honour which club chair Lena McLelland is overjoyed with after fearing that their pool’s closure would have forced youngsters to give up the sport they love.
