Penrith Swimming Club has launched a public petition calling on GLL and Westmorland and Furness Council to work with the club to protect its long-standing swimming provision at Penrith Leisure Centre.
The petition follows recent uncertainty over GLL’s proposal to prevent the 145-year-old community club from continuing its introductory swimming provision. Westmorland and Furness Council has stated that no final decision has been made and discussions remain ongoing.
Penrith Swimming Club has already publicly responded to a number of claims made about its arrangements at the leisure centre and is now asking the community to stand behind the club.
Founded in 1881, Penrith Swimming Club is run entirely by volunteers and has developed generations of local swimmers.
The club also has a unique relationship with Penrith Leisure Centre. In the 1990s, Penrith Swimming Club drove the campaign for the creation of the Frenchfield Teaching Pool, with its members raising tens of thousands of pounds towards the project. Today, the club spends approximately £40,000 each year on pool hire.
A Penrith Swimming Club spokesperson said:
“The response from our community over the last few days has been incredible and we are enormously grateful for the messages of support we have received.
“We want to work constructively with GLL and Westmorland and Furness Council to find a solution. We are not opposed to formalising arrangements. We want a long-term partnership which protects what generations of our members and volunteers have spent 145 years building.
“This is about much more than swimming lessons. Our introductory provision is where children begin their journey into club and competitive swimming. Without that next generation, there is eventually no competitive swimming club.
“In five years we should be celebrating 150 years of Penrith Swimming Club. We are asking our community to stand with us and help make sure we get there.”
The club is encouraging current and former swimmers, parents, volunteers and members of the wider community to sign and share the petition.
Sign the Save Penrith Swimming Club petition https://goto.penrith.town/save-our-swimming-club-save-penrith-swimming-club-s-learn-to-swim-provision
The club will also be encouraging supporters to contact their local councillors and MPs and share their own experiences of what Penrith Swimming Club has meant to them.
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