Making a splash

Children and young people are making the most of free swimming sessions

Lifeguards at the ready: from left to right Mike Bell, Ray Rackham, Neil Payne and Gavin Kelsey

Every school holiday, Gavin Kelsey and his fellow lifeguards at Woodford Leisure Centre know they have their work cut out.
That's because more and more children and young people across the city are attending free swimming sessions.
Whether at Christmas, Easter, half term or during the summer holidays, kids are enjoying the twin benefits of exercising and having fun by taking to the waters at Ennerdale Leisure Centre, East Hull Pools, Beverley Road Baths, Albert Avenue Pools, and of course Woodford, where Gavin and his colleagues maintain a reassuring presence at the poolside.
"The free swims are always popular and at Woodford children start queuing up 45 minutes before the sessions start," says Gavin.
"They turn up with their mates and really enjoy themselves. Swimming burns off their energy and prevents them from getting bored in the school holidays."
The lifeguards keep a close watch to ensure no-one gets into difficulty whilst in the pool, as well as making sure swimmers follow safety rules such as not running along the poolside.
Recent visitors to Woodford will have noticed the centre's smart new reception area and sports hall – part of a major upgrade at the site.
At a cost of £1m, Hull City Council carried out a top-to-bottom refurbishment of the centre following last year's floods.
The upgrade also includes a new enlarged changing area with a hoist and bed for disabled customers to allow them to change in comfort and privacy.
Disabled swimmers can then be taken by wheelchair straight into the water from the gently sloping poolside.

Big saving

During the summer holidays, there were 13,836 free junior swims taken at the council's swimming facilities.
"The school holidays amount to 13 weeks a year, and a junior swim normally costs £1.50, so free swimming during these periods offers a big saving for families and a chance for children to get physically active," says Sharon Bingham, area manager.
"The take-up rate for the free swims is increasing and all the pools often run at full capacity during the sessions."
It's not uncommon for customers to go to a free session at East Hull Pools and then head straight down to Woodford for a swim there on the same day, as the sessions can be held at different times at each site.
But that's absolutely fine, Sharon says, as the council wants to encourage people to be physically active and reap the positive effects of exercise on health, fitness and general well-being.

Aerobics classes, gym facilities and children's holidays clubs at Woodford Leisure Centre

Walking on water

Another popular activity offered by Hull Leisure is the 'Water Walkerz' session, which takes place every Sunday from 2.30-3.30pm at Albert Avenue Pools.
During the session, children climb into what looks like a massive, deflated beach ball at the side of the pool. The ball is then inflated, zipped up and rolled into the water, allowing the child inside to literally walk along the surface of the pool.
Each turn in the ball lasts for around five minutes, and depending how many people are waiting, children usually get a number of turns each session. The sessions are well-supervised, ensuring everyone's safety.
All Water Walkerz sessions cost £2.25.

Don't forget

The range of facilities on offer include saunas, steam rooms and the excellent Kingston Fitness Suites.
And to encourage customers to make regular use of these facilities, 'Tonic' cards are currently available for £27 a month (payable by direct debit), and allow unlimited access to all facilities, excluding sunbeds, at all times.
Young people up to the age of 16 are eligible for 'Tonic Junior' cards – currently just £10 per month by direct debit – which allow unlimited swimming during public sessions and free entry for badminton, squash, and table tennis.
The savings offered by the Tonic scheme are attracting people of all ages to take up some form of physical activity – in fact, in just one month earlier this year, 2,261 people over 60 years young visited the swimming pools.
While Tonic cards provide a value-for-money way to have fun and get fit, customers can also choose to pay per session if they prefer to.

info

Please ask at your local swimming pool or leisure centre for concessions on the prices of Tonic cards. Prices may be subject to change in 2009. For more information on leisure facilities, and opening times, visit www.hullcc.gov.uk or call 300300.