The Parish Council fully supports the principle that children in the parish should learn to swim and to be happy and confident in the water.

In January 2024, Jubilee Pool approached Ludgvan Parish Council with an offer that for £1,000  the parish council could participate in the scheme to enable under 16s living in the parish to swim at Jubilee Pool for free in 2024.

Although this particular funding application was not agreed to, it opened up a discussion which highlighted the benefits of swimming opportunities for children living in the parish. The parish council remains open to discussions with Jubilee Pool, other pools, Ludgvan School, swim clubs etc, to consider ways in which the parish council can support wellbeing, including through encouraging swimming and water confidence and abilities.

The scheme was interesting, and as the Parish Council is keen to support initiatives for health and wellbeing it was discussed at length. As a number of questions were raised, we asked a representative from Jubilee Pool to attend a parish council meeting to discuss further. They declined to attend, but did provide further information.

The scheme was for a single lump sum to be paid to the Pool in advance, those eligible children who signed up for the scheme would be able to swim for free through the summer, and the scheme would be reviewed at the end of the season.  It is understood that this review would help set the rate for funding for future years.

There was no overriding factor for the decision not to fund, it was based on consideration of all factors in the round, including:

• Value for money: a lump sum to be paid in advance, without knowing the potential level of take-up of the scheme.
• Effectiveness:  How many children would benefit? How many swims would be used?
• Fairness: Ludgvan Parish has a geographic spread and for many residents their first choice of pool might be Hayle, St Ives or Penzance Leisure Centre.
• Targeting grant funding: was this the best way to help those children whose financial or social situations would mean that they would still not be able to access the swims – the cost of the swim ticket being just one barrier to their access.

Ludgvan Parish Council would welcome further applications, for example for funding for specific user groups (eg swim club, extra curricular activity groups) or to support facilities in neighbouring parishes (eg funding to pools in Penzance, Hayle and St Ives). If the Jubilee Pool team wish to submit another proposal, the parish council would be happy to discuss and consider other potential schemes.