MP welcomes £162,563.00 investment for Rye Sports Centre and Summerfields Leisure Centre

Swimming is a valuable life skill for people of all ages and is extremely beneficial for people’s mental and physical wellbeing. In addition, Swim England’s latest Value of Swimming report showed that water-based activity, including swimming, helps generate social value of £2.4 billion a year.

The Government’s investment of £20 million in swimming pools and leisure facilities across England means that 196 leisure centres and swimming pools in 103 local authorities will benefit from boosted funding, supporting over 23 million swims a year.

The Swimming Pool Support Fund was first announced at the March Budget. This first £20 million of funding is going to the swimming pools and leisure centres most at risk of closure or significant service reduction, and will be used to help with the recent rise in energy costs, such as paying towards immediate maintenance costs, heating, and pool chemicals.

The Government is continuing to deliver the long-term health facilities to support opportunities for people to get fit and healthy, helping to cut obesity rates and get millions more people active.

Commenting, Sally-Ann Hart said:“This is very good news for Hastings and Rye. I have fought for funding for public swimming pools, and it is great to see our constituency benefit so much from the first phase of funding, which is for help with energy costs. I am encouraging local authorities to bid for funding from the second phase which is to support the transition to more energy efficient ways of heating.

“Swimming pools are so important for many people in Hastings and Rye as they keep people of all ages active and bring together our communities. It is only right that the Government has stepped in to protect public swimming pools from energy costs.”

Sports Minister, Stuart Andrew MP said: “Leisure centres and pools are vital for millions of people to stay fit and healthy, and we know that many public swimming pools are experiencing greater pressure due to increased operating costs.

“We have heard their concerns and have stepped in to help them make ends meet with £20 million immediate relief, and a further £40 million to help improve sustainability of public swimming pools over the long term.

"This is part of our support for grassroots sports facilities with more than £400 million in order to achieve our ambitious target of getting 3.5 million more people active by 2030.”