Over £5 million of grants for new or upgraded facilities in the East Midlands
Over a thousand swimming pools run by almost 300 local councils will offer free swimming from 1 April for people aged 60 and over, or 16 and under as well - delivering on a Government promise to help get two million people more active by the time London hosts the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012.
Four out of every five local councils in England have signed up to provide free swimming for over 60s, with more than 200 offering it too for young people. Twenty million people are eligible to swim for free, using pools in other areas if their own council is not participating in the scheme.
The £140 million Government initiative includes £60 million in funding to modernise existing swimming facilities or build new ones. Today Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, announced that 10 facilities in the East Midlands will receive grants worth over £5 million in 2009/10.
The grants will mean new or revamped pools in the East Midlands, with the biggest awards, worth over £1 million each, going to Noel Street Pool in Nottingham and Ibstock Community College in Leicester. Full details of the awards can be found at dcms website
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