Forums Forums Wirral Information Wirral Council Free swimming stopped in school holiday for kids.

Agreed, Jim, (and I'm three years older than you)

I partially answered that on another thread somewhere, but here some thoughts .....

The more people that use the pools, the longer they are open, when they are open they need more safety staff.

The more a pool is open then more energy is used because they can put covers on pools when they are not in use which stops evaporation which is the main loss of heat.

The more people in the water, the more the water is disturbed which increases the amount of evaporation which cools the water and so more heating is required. The offset of kinetic energy put into the water is insignificant as its the increase in surface area that increases evaporation not so much the volume of water moved.

When the pool is full of free patrons, it reduces the amount of paying customers present which is a loss of income.

General wear and tare increase the more people that use the facility.

The filters, chemicals etc need replacing more often the more a pool is used.

The more people that use the facility the more admin there is to do, you can't simply double someone's workload because they are already there.

There are advertising cost for these free events, if they weren't advertised they would be pointless.

Your concept is obviously flawed, otherwise you would design and manage leisure centres for say a maximum of twenty people even though it might need ten times that amount, on the grounds that the extra 180 people wouldn't cost anything extra.

The more people that use the pools, the longer they are open, when they are open they need more safety staff

Junior swim.......through the school holidays. Open, staffed, and all in place ready for any children who may arrive for a swim.

The more a pool is open then more energy is used because they can put covers on pools when they are not in use which stops evaporation which is the main loss of heat

There is no talk of closing the pool for Junior Swims. So the covers will not be on. As above , all in place for even one child to swim.

The more people in the water, the more the water is disturbed which increases the amount of evaporation which cools the water and so more heating is required. The offset of kinetic energy put into the water is insignificant as its the increase in surface area that increases evaporation not so much the volume of water moved.


Are you saying it's better that fewer people use the pools for this reason given ? These things will have been calculated long ago and it didn't bother anyone then. There's more cost when babies poo in the pools. That's a major operation.


When the pool is full of free patrons, it reduces the amount of paying customers present which is a loss of income

Junior swim is junior swim...not adult.

The more people that use the facility the more admin there is to do, you can't simply double someone's workload because they are already there.


Can't really see that, when majority is done by computers.

There are advertising cost for these free events, if they weren't advertised they would be pointless.


Minimal, like photocopying of paper

With all due respect, I don't think my ideas are flawed , but the idea that children who would like to swim during their school holidays and maybe can't afford £2.40 everyday, is a shame and I hope the pools are used, but it's more of a waste to have all things set up with lifeguards in position for two hours, by an almost empty pool, cleaners, receptionists, first aiders, admin, etc. To save money, they may as well cancel the junior swims and close the pool for that period. However, the staffing would still be in the buildings as the centres will still be open for any other facilities that are being used within.
I hope that the children who could benefit from swimming, do not get otherwise engaged in alternative activities during the 6 weeks hols in the summer. Bored children can do a lot of damage.

The free swims nationwide were set up prior to the Olympic Games in London. Hoping to encourage young people to take up swimming. Also geared towards the under privileged. Wirral even had Duncan Goodhew visit the centres,(at what cost ?) offering advice ......how many children turned up ? I know, but I bet you don't

Bored children can do a lot of damage.

and if they really want to swim they go to dangerous places - what price a child's life so that Councillors and Council staff can go on jolly's all over the world - wonder when the next trips to America and China are.

There were always massive queues at Europa Pools. The admissions were broken into sessions to alleviate overcrowding.

The Police released figures that showed from the introduction of free swimming in 2008 instances of anti-social behaviour on Wirral reduced dramatically. This trend continued year on year.

Nationally, attendances fell after free swimming was introduced leading some authorities to abandon it early on. Wirral’s figures were stable with seasonal variations, but continued to increase gradually every year.
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