Newport West AM Rosemary Butler is urging parents and children to take advantage of the free swimming sessions and lessons which are available at Newport City Council leisure centres over next week's half term holiday.

They will be free for every child under 16, thanks to the Welsh Assembly Government's free swimming scheme.

The £2.5m idea has proved a great success - with more than two million swims taken up around Wales since the Assembly Government introduced the scheme in 2003.

In Newport alone 9,630 children used the facility last summer, and 650 returned at half term in the autumn.

Mrs Butler said:
"It's clear that parents and children find this an extremely popular way of spending their free time during the school holidays. It's free, it's good for them and above all it's fun.

"We're  very grateful to Newport City Council and to the staff at the four leisure centres involved for their co-operation and for the way they look after the children.

"The scheme is becoming increasingly popular, I'm glad to say. You only have to look at the take up  figures."

Details of how to apply for the scheme are available from Newport City Council.

Thursday, February 15