Council invests extra £1 million into leisure and events to support pandemic recovery
Telford & Wrekin Council will be investing an extra £1 million into leisure and events as a part of a wider £16 million commitment to support the borough to recover from the COVID pandemic.
The money is being invested into a range of initiatives to help residents get fit and active, tackle big issues such as loneliness and give a boost to local businesses by bringing people together safely.
As part of the investment, from 1 October 2021 all residents under the age of 25 with a Telford Loyalty Card (TLC) will be able to swim for free in council leisure centres across the borough.
Plans are also being made to give more people access to a local pool by investing in new swimming facilities in Dawley.
Councillor Shaun Davies, Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council said: “We can’t talk about swimming in Telford and Wrekin without thinking about one of Telford’s most famous sons, captain Matthew Webb, the first man to swim the English Channel.
“In time for the 150th anniversary of the great man’s achievement, we are committing to funding a new pool in the Dawley area so that more people can swim locally.
“Add this to the extension of our free swimming offer and we should see more people enjoying the benefits of swimming more often.”
A new Youth Health & Fitness Membership will also be launched to give young people aged 16-19 access to Telford & Wrekin’s aspirations health and fitness facilities for just £19.99 per month with no minimum term contract or joining fee.
The investment will also go towards delivering more quality events in the borough.
Already this year the council’s events team have hosted a number of successful events including music concerts in Telford Town Park, Balloon Fiesta and Armed Forces Day; all whilst following government coronavirus guidance to ensure residents and visitors can enjoy outdoor entertainment whilst keeping safe.
The extra investment will see brand new experiences for 2022 as well as the return of family favourites such as Carnival, Big Top and celebrating the Queens Jubilee.
Money will also be spent upgrading facilities at Oakengates Theatre @ The Place to ensure there is a quality indoor entertainment on offer locally.
Councillor Eileen Callear, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Visitor Economy commented: “As a council we are choosing to invest in our events and leisure programme to help our residents enjoy life after the worst of the pandemic, but in reality, our investment will have a much greater impact, helping to tackle big issues such as obesity, mental wellbeing and loneliness and supporting local businesses to bounce back by bringing people together safely.”
People can find out more about the free swimming offer or new youth membership at their nearest leisure centre. Contact details can be found: www.telfordandwrekinleisure.co.uk
The new youth membership will be available to both new and existing members. Existing members will be contacted directly by the leisure team regrading transferring their membership to the new offer.
