With purse strings tight this summer and six weeks of holidays to get through, parents are being reminded that there has never been a better time to take advantage of the Free Swimming Initiative at local authority leisure centres across Pembrokeshire. Over 355,000 young people aged 16 and under attended free swimming sessions last summer, 25,000 of which coming from the Pembrokeshire area, and the figures are set to soar again this year as parents look for cheap ways of entertaining their children during the holidays. The Welsh Assembly Government's Free Swimming Initiative has a range of aquatic activities on offer for the whole family to enjoy, taking the pressure of entertaining away from parents and helping to keep the kids busy and active without breaking the bank. Well aware of the financial pressures that school holidays place on parents, charity organisation Parentline Plus are supporting the Free Swimming Initiative. "As the biggest independent provider of parent support in the country, we talk to thousands of parents every year and we are well aware that the summer holidays can be a stressful time for parents," said Sue Ormesher, spokeswoman for Parentline Plus. "We conducted an online poll to gauge parents' views and found that 25 per cent of parents who responded said that the cost of holidays and days out left many dreading their children breaking up from school. Parents are under an increasing amount of pressure in the summer, especially when it comes to the cost of keeping kids occupied. And therefore we welcome any initiatives that can help parents by taking away some of the stress of entertaining and for families to enjoy the summer holidays without having to spend a small fortune." Sports Minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas said: "Swimming is a great way to have fun, socialise and be active - and because it's free it's good for parents, and means that children and young people can swim regularly throughout the holidays. Since its inception, the Welsh Assembly Government's Free Swimming scheme has been extremely popular and I look forward in the future to removing more barriers to creating a fitter and healthier Wales." Children aged 16 and under can enjoy a host of free activities, including surfing, water polo, swimming lessons and water walkerz fun. Mums and dads can also take their families along to structured family sessions, and those aged 60 and over can enjoy a range of sessions from aqua gymnasiums to snorkelling. For further information on Free Swimming, visit http://www.free-swimming-wales.org.uk">www.free-swimming-wales.org.uk or contact your local authority leisure centre.
