Free swimming offer for Exeter primary school children

All Exeter children will be offered free swimming lessons before they finish primary school, Exeter Labour have pledged.

Exeter Labour thinks it's important that young people learn to swim as early as possible - not only to ensure they are safe and confident around water, but also because it gets children active.

Exeter Labour spokesperson Rosie Denham said, “We are committed to helping residents to improve their health and wellbeing, and have been working with Active Devon to make Exeter the most active city in the South West by 2018.

"Swimming is a great way to keep fit and improve well-being, as well as helping children to feel confident and safe in the water.

"We have a great opportunity to improve on the current offer when we approve a new operator for St Sidwell’s Point, and Exeter Labour will make sure that all children in the city have access to free swimming lessons before they finish primary school.”

And it's a move that's received the backing of the city's MP, Ben Bradshaw, who said: "Free swimming was introduced by the last Labour Government as part of our physical activity & anti-obesity drive, but this was scrapped by the coalition in June 2010. So it's great to see the forward looking Exeter Labour proposing to reinstate this offer for primary school children across the city."