Free school holiday swimming for eligible children

Eligible children will be able to swim at Westbury Pool for free during school holidays starting this Easter.

Wiltshire Council is offering free swimming for all primary and secondary school pupils who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals, following a successful pilot scheme during the summer holidays.

From the Easter holidays, the offer will provide one free swim per eligible child per week during school holiday periods, for up to 13 weeks. The scheme will run across all council-run leisure centres with a pool, including Westbury Pool.

Cllr Jon Hubbard, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said, “We want every child and young person to enjoy healthy, active opportunities and I’m delighted last year’s pilot scheme was such a success. Families told us how much they valued spending quality time together and the positive impact on mental wellbeing and confidence. I’m thrilled we can continue this offer not just for Easter but throughout the school holidays helping families plan ahead.

“I hope to see more children and young people having fun at their pool, being healthy and enjoying sport.”

Cllr Mel Jacob, Cabinet Member for Communities said, “Visiting your local pool and enjoying a swim should be something all our children and young people can enjoy. I am very proud that our eligible children and young people can now have access to free swimming during school holidays starting from this Easter.”

The council says the programme will be reviewed after each holiday period to ensure an appropriate balance between supporting vulnerable groups and maintaining commercial sustainability. Outcomes from each review will inform the offer in the following year.

More details on how the scheme will be rolled out will be shared in the coming weeks.

Pictured: Cllr Jon Hubbard and Cllr Mel Jacob