Archived press release

Date Published: 11/07/06

Aylesbury Vale District Council is encouraging children and adults to stay active by taking a swim. The council is participating in the Kellogg’s Swim Active Programme, a national scheme that aims to get more people physically active by swi...

Aylesbury Vale District Council is encouraging children and adults to stay active by taking a swim.

The council is participating in the Kellogg’s Swim Active Programme, a national scheme that aims to get more people physically active by swimming as a regular part of their lives.

Swim Active will offer swimming lessons for children aged five to 11, and chances for their families to try new activities together, plus transport to and from the Aqua Vale Swimming & Fitness Centre in Aylesbury, all for just £1 per person.

The project will be launched on Saturday 15 July at Aqua Vale with a free session and continues throughout the school holidays.

The scheme will initially be available to residents living in the Walton Court, Southcourt, Quarrendon and Meadowcroft areas within Aylesbury before extending to rural areas surrounding Buckingham early in 2007. These areas were agreed with the national organisers because they tend to have lower physical activity participation rates, which can lead to poorer health.

Swim Active has been made possible by a £15,000 grant by the Amateur Swimming Association and Kellogg’s, and contributions from AVDC and Serco, who run Aqua Vale for the council, and has been developed in partnership with the Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Sports Partnership.

Councillor David Thompson, Cabinet Member for Leisure, said: “Getting more people to swim is a cornerstone of our sports development programme. Swimming is an essential life skill, great fun and a fantastic way to help people stay active. This scheme will help us promote the benefits of swimming in areas where many people are not getting enough exercise and suffering from poor health as a result.”

If you would like to take part in Kellogg’s Swim Active, or would like more information, please call Chris Bolton, Sports Development Manager, on 01296 585221.