okay, some adult conversation...

[casbie]

topic one: free swimming to over 60s only in Cornwall... when other councils provide for under 16s...
discuss!

[casbie]

www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=17944

[TooYoungToBeOld]

Some councils provide free swimming for under 16s?

I must admit i do get annoyed over swimming.

I think being able to swim, resonably well at least, is an important skill to have, but i haven't taken DS swimming much mainly due to the cost. I have to pay for him and myself to swim, but all he can do is bob around, all i do i stay bobbing beside him, neither of us therefore do any actual swimming, and he never wants to stay in the pool that long anyway. So all in all i never feel i get my money's worth.

I'm all for free swimming for over 60s, but what about the same for children!

[feralgirl]

I knew we'd be one of the areas that lost out when they said on the news that it wasn't going to be the whole UK.

I think it's outrageous, esp since we live in a county with so much coastline. I also think that it should be free (or at least discounted) when you're pg and the year after; you get free prescriptions for curative medicine for 21 months so you should have access to preventative measures as well!

And it'd be interesting to see whether encouraging new mums to do more exercise would help PND rates too...? And therefore have a positive effect on the numbers of mums continuing to BF...?

FWIW, Camborne Sure Start do a course of swimming sessions for under 3s; it's £12 for six half hour sessions which is much cheaper than the £3.30 that Carn Brea charge per swim.

[casbie]

ooh, i forgot about that one...

surestart in falmouth, did this for us pregnant/new mums, but why not for children when it matters?

our friends can't afford to take their whole family swimming, never mind lessons and now their going to secondary school.

where things like surfing, sailing etc is encouraged. how can children who can't swim be confident to do watersports in their own neighbourhood?

write to your local MP...

it really is an outrage.

[cheesesarnie]

just seen this.its rubbish.i have 3 children and i try to take them swimming as much as i can but its soooo expensive.i used to take them and get the surestart discount but it wasnt much of a discount when theyre was 3 children!
dd and ds1 used to have private lessons and i used to take ds2 twice a week (then once a week) but as our incoming money dropped the lessons went up!so it all stopped.
people moan about children being obese(mine are skinny shrimps but you never know!)so surely they need to encourage excerise plus with living in cornwall we are always near the sea so being able to swim should be a priority!

so i think-why not the under 16's!!!

[casbie]

it's now £5 per swimming lesson paid in a block every 10 weeks...
: (

i have three children but realise how lucky they are that granny pays for them, i nearly cried when the carrick leisure put the prices up!