I was delighted to be informed by the Sports Minister Stuart Andrew MP that Hoo Swimming Pool will receive £744,379 from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport as part of their £40m Exchequer funding for solar panels and a new gas boiler to improve the energy effciency.
A spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, said: "Swimming is a great way for people of all ages to stay active, with positive impacts on physical and mental health".
"This investment in the financial sustainability of hundreds of swimming pools will help ensure that the more than 58 million visits to these facilities each year are protected, helping improve the health of the nation"
The Sports Minister Stuart Andrew MP, said: "We are sticking to our plan to get millions more people active by 2030, because we know that active people are fitter, happier and healthier.
The Government's £40M fund runs alongside an extra £20m Sport England fund which will benefit 325 leisure centres with swimming pools across 264 Local Authorities.
It's great that Hoo Swimming Pool will be receiving this investment from Government and they have recognised how important Hoo Swimming Pool is to our community, like many local people it's the pool where I learnt to swim and an important community asset.
This is great news however, it is just very disapointing that the Labour-Run Medway Council has recently decided to scrap free swimming for under 16s and over 60s effective from the 1st April.
I along with Tracey Crouch MP and Rehman Chishti MP wrote to the council asking them to rethink their plan back in February. Funding for swimming had always been a priority to protect under local conservatives adminstrations. Sadly the Labour Council prioritised this funding for other projects such as ANPR cameras and red routes.
