Decision details

Resolved:-

1.1         That approval is given to the Service Manager – Tourism, Culture & Leisure to enter into an agreement with Sandwell Leisure Trust and Places Leisure to offer free swimming to: -

a)           Children and young people aged 18 years and under (exclusively Sandwell residents only) during public swimming sessions, for seven days per week, throughout school holidays only;

b)           Adults aged 60 years and over (exclusively Sandwell residents only) during public swimming sessions, for seven days per week before 1pm all year round; and

c)           Allocate a proportion of free swimming funding to primary care settings to be distributed through a social prescribing pathway for adults

              for the financial year 2022/23.

1.2         That approval is given to the Service Manager – Tourism, Culture & Leisure to enter into an agreement with Sandwell Leisure Trust and Places Leisure to offer free swimming lessons to: -

(a)          Children and young people aged 16 years and under (exclusively Sandwell residents only) via a voucher scheme distributed through schools (identified as in receipt of benefits/low income and unable to afford lessons plus poor swimming ability in school swimming lessons); and

(b)          primary care settings (to be distributed through a social prescribing pathway)

              for the financial year 2022/23.

1.3         That the Director for Finance be authorised to allocate a revenue budget of £275,000 for the free swimming offer and £150,000 for the free swimming lessons offer. This would total £425,000 for the financial year 2022/23.

1.4         That any necessary exemptions be made to the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules to enable the course of action referred to in recommendation 1 (above) to proceed.