One month after Penrith.Town broke
the story surrounding proposals affecting Penrith Swimming Club’s Learn to Swim
provision, the Club has thanked the local news outlet for journalism which
helped ensure its concerns were heard and sparked an extraordinary wave of
community support.
On 11 August,
Penrith.Town brought the developing situation involving GLL/Better, Westmorland
and Furness Council and Penrith Swimming Club into the public domain.
The story followed the Club
receiving an email from the General Manager of Penrith Leisure Centre on 1
August stating that, following the summer break, Penrith Swimming Club would no
longer be authorised to operate its junior Learn to Swim sessions during its
pool hire.
For Penrith Swimming Club, the
coverage marked a turning point.
What had initially been
discussions taking place behind closed doors became a major community issue,
with swimmers, parents, former members, local organisations and residents
rallying behind the 145-year-old volunteer-run Club.
In the weeks since, the campaign
has gathered thousands of petition signatures, attracted widespread
public support and reached local and regional media.
Penrith.Town has continued to
follow the story throughout the campaign, including recording the extraordinary
meeting of Penrith Town Council, allowing people unable to attend
to hear the discussion surrounding the future of the Club for themselves.
Penrith Town Council subsequently
backed the continuation of Penrith Swimming Club’s Learn to Swim provision
alongside GLL’s programme, supporting a model which protects family choice and
the future of the Club.
The campaign has since travelled
from Penrith to Westminster.
Penrith and Solway MP Markus
Campbell-Savours visited the Club, met swimmers, coaches and
volunteers and subsequently tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of
Commons, putting the future of Penrith Swimming Club formally on the
parliamentary record.
The motion has also begun
attracting support from MPs beyond Cumbria, including Jim Shannon MP
from Northern Ireland, as the Club calls for further cross-party backing.
Luke Brown of Penrith Swimming
Club said:
“One month ago, Penrith.Town told
our story. We genuinely don't know where this campaign would be today without
them.
“When our Club received the
communication on 1 August, we were facing an incredibly uncertain future.
Penrith.Town gave our members, volunteers and community a platform and ensured
people understood what was happening.
“The response since then has been
immense. Thousands of people have signed our petition, Penrith Town Council has
publicly supported us, our MP has visited the Club and our campaign has now
reached the House of Commons through an Early Day Motion.
“None of that happens unless
people first hear your story.
“Good local journalism matters.
Penrith.Town didn't just report one article and move on. They have continued to
follow developments, attended and recorded the Town Council meeting and helped
keep our community informed.
“Whatever the eventual outcome of
this campaign, we want to put on record our sincere thanks to
Penrith.Town. Without them, we genuinely believe our voice may never
have been heard.”
The campaign followed information
concerning the Club entering the public domain which Westmorland and Furness
Council later acknowledged included elements based solely on discussions with
GLL that should not have been presented in the way they were without further
verification.
The Council has since publicly
confirmed that no final decision has been made and that coexistence between the
two Learn to Swim programmes is one of the options being considered.
Penrith Swimming Club remains
clear that it is not calling for GLL’s swimming lessons to stop.
Its campaign is about allowing the two programmes to coexist, retaining choice
for local families and protecting a pathway which has taken generations of
children from their first strokes into competitive swimming, coaching,
volunteering and lifelong participation.
Jonathan Davies founder
and editor of Penrith.Town News Said, “I want to say a huge thank you to
Penrith Swimming Club for those incredibly kind words.”
“We started
Penrith.Town News because we believe local journalism matters. Not just when
there is a big announcement, but when something important is happening in our
community and people need to know what is going on and get involved.”
“When we first reported
this story, none of us could have known where it would lead. What has happened
since has shown the strength of feeling that exists for Penrith Swimming Club,
its volunteers, its swimmers and the generations of families who have been part
of it. It has also revealed situation faced by other swimming clubs across the
country”.
“The credit for the
campaign belongs firmly with the Club, its members, volunteers and the wider
community who have stood up and made their voices heard. Our role has simply
been to make sure that voice could be heard as widely as possible”.
“For me, this is
exactly what independent local journalism should be about. Giving people and organisations
a voice, asking questions, reporting what is happening and, importantly,
continuing to tell the story when the initial headlines have disappeared”.
“Penrith Swimming
Club has been part of the fabric of this town for 145 years. It is fantastic to
see so many people recognising the importance of protecting not just the Club
itself, but the pathway it provides for young people”.
“Whatever happens
next, Penrith.Town News will continue to support to Penrith Swimming Club
and to follow the story and give our readers the information they need to
understand what is happening”.
“Thank you to
everyone who has supported the Club, and thank you to Penrith Swimming Club for
allowing Penrith.Town News to play a small part in such an important campaign”.
One month after the story first
broke, the Club says its message remains the same:
Protect the beginning. Protect the
pathway. Protect the future.
Sign the campaign petition:
https://www.change.org/p/save-our-swimming-club-save-penrith-swimming-club-s-learn-to-swim-provision
Then select "Add to Home Screen"
