Promoting the benefits of swimming
Released: 4 January 2007
Scheme targets groups who do not benefit from swimming
There has been some highly inaccurate reporting in the local and national media about the Council’s participation in the Kellogg’s Swim Active Scheme.
Some quarters of the local and national media have inaccurately reported on the Council’s participation in the Kellogg’s Swim Active Scheme. Delivered in conjunction with the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA), this programme contributes to the Council’s ambitious strategy to improve the health and well-being of all our citizens.
The 12-month pilot project targets groups who, from our extensive research, do not participate as actively in swimming as other members of the community. These include youngsters at Key Stage 2, obese children and adults and people from black and minority ethnic groups. Through the programme, the Council has encouraged these groups to take as much advantage of our swimming facilities as the rest of the population.
Reporting in the national and local press has implied that the Council has excluded people from the scheme. In fact, nobody has been excluded from this scheme on the grounds of ethnicity. Furthermore, contrary to some reports, the scheme has not been targeted exclusively at Muslims.
In a statement to the media issued yesterday (Wednesday, 3 January 2007), Councillor John Reynolds, Wolverhampton City Council cabinet member for leisure and culture, said: “As part of a national scheme to encourage people to swim, the council has targeted a promotion at people from ethnic minorities, who, from our research, do not participate as actively in swimming as other members of the community.
“We similarly target other groups who are under-using the service, for example older people and women. Nonetheless, we must stress that we do not turn away anyone from this or other swimming promotion schemes on the basis of ethnicity.”
Issued by the press office.