A WEST Devon athlete has added her voice to the pressure on the Government to subsidise community swimming pools to avoid closures.

The industry body representing leisure centres (Community Leisure UK — CLUK) staged a so-called Big Swim day last week at Tavistock’s Meadowlands and Okehampton’s Parklands pools to rally swimmers behind its campaign.

The campaign is lobbying the Government to classify swimming pools as energy intensive users, for the need to constantly heat water and maintain indoor temperature. However, the current subsidy, which covers all energy users, is due to end for leisure centre from April, risking about half of all pools closing in the UK, says CLUK.

Supporters say swimming is an easily accessible and affordable activity good for mental health, well-being, fitness and health.

Sam Lake, a well-known international athlete and Tavistock Swimming Club member, also teacher and parent who uses Meadowlands, said: ‘I know it will never be easy to decide whether Meadowlands is viable to stay open but it is utterly important as a community hub for the health and well-being of Tavistock.

‘Also, local athletes need a base at which to train. There are only a few nights at Kelly College available for them to train in the full-size pool. This is totally insufficient for the level at which I train as a GB athlete. As a primary school teacher I’m concerned that if Meadowlands closed we’d have no where to teach children swimming. Swimming is not only a basic life, skill but a legal requirement that children should be able to swim 25 metres. We’d be failing a generation of children, if we had no pool.’

She added: ‘A considerable number of hopes and dreams would be shattered by those aspiring to achieve in their swimming careers, including myself, representing Great Britain in aquathlon and triathlon. Swimming is also a basic life skill without which would harm learning in school and the future careers of those who want a future in the leisure industry.’

A public campaign helped keep Meadowlands open with support from West Devon Borough Council after pandemic losses. Sam said: ‘Meadowlands is a fantastic facility which the community desperately needs. It was fought very hard for and improved over the years. It has to be supported so that it remains open for the community good for generations.’

Phil Rumbelow, Chair of CLUK, said: ‘Without continued government support, our members tell us that up to half of their pools could close or face service cuts. That could mean hundreds of communities being robbed of a pool — jeopardising thousands of jobs.’

Swimmers can use hashtag #saveourpools, to highlight the community role of pools.