A Sporting Future for London
Mobile swimming pools are one of the key elements of the Mayor of London's vision to create a fitter, healthier, more active London and the move has been welcomed by the ASA. Other activities included in the plan are boxing academies, street athletics in every borough and competitive sport for profoundly disabled children.
'A Sporting Future for London’ unveiled by the Mayor Boris Johnson and his Sports Commissioner, Kate Hoey on Tuesday 28 April 2009 will see a total of over £30 million invested into grass-roots sport in London by 2012.
‘A Sporting Future for London’ aims to significantly boost participation by Londoners of all ages in grassroots sports, creating a real lasting sporting legacy and making London an even better place to live and work.
The Mayor said: “We have a unique opportunity with the 2012 Games to set in place a lasting legacy for sport provision across the capital. The success of the Olympics must not be judged on regeneration benefits in the east of London alone. This is a once in a lifetime chance to increase sport participation and activity, tackle social and health inequalities and bring the capital’s communities together under the same vision."
Today’s launch marks the Mayor meeting another manifesto pledge of investing resources to create a legacy of increased sport participation in London. It signals the Greater London Authority’s continued commitment to the active promotion of social development, the improvement of Londoners health and addressing health inequalities in the capital.
David Sparkes, Chief Executive of the ASA, said: "London was the birthplace of swimming and many other Olympic sports, and as we await the return of the Olympics to the city for an unprecedented third time, it is appropriate that the Mayor is demonstrating to the world how to build lasting sporting legacy for a city around the Olympics.
"This Plan will reinvigorate the sporting landscape of London and encourage many across the whole of London to be more active throughout their lives, building London into the Sports Capital of the World."
The capital has already taken advantage of mobile pools. A 12m x 10m mobile pool was set up at Lilian Baylis (Old School) in Lambeth, South London in January and February 2009 as part of the Pools in Schools project, giving more than 1,000 children the opportunity to learn to swim.
Colin Brown, the ASA's Director London Swimming, said: "It is fantastic that the Mayor is investing in bringing more mobile pools to London. 13 per cent of London primary schools don’t do any form of school swimming which represents over 200+ schools despite it being on the national curriculum. This will allow us to target areas of London with poor access to swimming pools and ensure that an entire community become water confident and signposted to their nearest provision."
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