On Saturday two hundred shoppers signed a petition in town to back calls for Worthing Borough Council to sign-up to the Labour Government’s free swimming for children and the elderly initiative. Ian Ross, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Worthing West, organised the petition, which received a positive response from shoppers.Chris Bryant MP, Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, was also in town on Saturday to lend his support and meet normal people.
£50m is being made available for Councils to offer free swimming to those aged over sixty during 2009-2011, in addition to £60m for swimming pool modernisation projects. Three hundred local authorities have chosen to offer free swimming to children and the elderly, but not in Worthing.
Two hundred shoppers signed the petition in two hours – that’s almost two people per minute. I think this level of support will send shivers through Worthing Borough Council. I had many people tell me that they found it outrageous that children and pensioners in Chichester and Brighton will be benefiting when the initiative starts on 1st April, but not in Worthing. It certainly has caused a “splash.”
Everyone is clearly not as naïve as the Tory Council would have them think – most people realise free swimming would not increase their council tax bills as the free swimming initiative is being funded by Central Government. The message to the Leader of Worthing Borough Council is clear – Stop being mean, sign up to the scheme!
Anyone wishing to sign the petition can do so online by visiting:
www.ipetitions.com/petition/freeswimming
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