Press Association
Thursday 24th May 2012
About 2,500 primary school children in deprived areas are set to receive free swimming lessons.
The Scottish Government said extra funding of £420,000 was being invested in the the Top Up Swimming Programme which aims to give all children the opportunity to learn to swim before leaving primary school.
Councils can decide how best to design services in their area and submit detailed plans to sportscotland, who are working in partnership with Scottish Swimming to help support implementation.
Sports Minister Shona Robison said: "Swimming is one of the best forms of physical activity for young people, which is why we are investing in the Top Up initiative to give children the opportunity to learn to swim and enjoy a lifelong activity.
"To give children the healthiest start in life and help guard against the risk of problems later in life, it's recommended that youngsters participate in 60 minutes of exercise a day. Learning to swim gives young people confidence in the water as well as a fun way of keeping active - something they can enjoy throughout their lives.
"We want to encourage as many children as possible to get the benefits of swimming and physical activity generally, which is why we are this week launching a new campaign to promote the importance of physical activity and raise awareness among parents of the recommended levels."
Louise Martin, chairman of sportscotland, added: "Swimming really is a sport for life and it's so important that as many young people as possible are given the opportunity to learn to swim as part of an active lifestyle.
"Sportscotland has invested over £1.18 million in Scottish Swimming this year to continue to develop the sport at every level.
"Working with local authority partners through the Top Up programme supports and enhances the work already being done by Scottish Swimming to help children develop this fantastic life skill and to deliver the next generation of Scottish swimming talent."
Ashley Howard, chief executive of Scottish Swimming, said: "Working in partnership with sportscotland, we will be able to build on the relationships developed during the first year of the programme - relationships essential for thinking differently about how we approach learning to swim in a fun, effective, and sustainable way."
