Initiative to help 100 Havant children learn to swim
100 children in Havant will benefit from subsidised swimming lessons under a new scheme aimed at improving access to water safety and physical activity
Last updated 19th Apr 2025
10\0 children in Havant will benefit from subsidised swimming lessons under a new scheme aimed at improving access to water safety and physical activity.
The initiative, led by Portsmouth Water in partnership with Horizon Leisure and Havant Borough Council, will reduce the cost of lessons from £30 to £10 per month for families receiving Universal Credit and other qualifying benefits. Lessons will be held at Horizon Leisure’s wellbeing centres in Havant and Waterlooville.
Running from September 2025, the programme will support each child for six months. Applications can be made online through Horizon Leisure’s dedicated webpage, which will go live in July.
In Havant, just 16% of children and young people swim regularly, compared with 31% across Hampshire, highlighting a significant local need for accessible swimming education.
“As a local, community-orientated company, we’ve been inspired by Havant Borough Council and Horizon Leisure’s ambition to support local children and young people to learn to swim,” said Bob Taylor, Chief Executive Officer for Portsmouth Water. “The numbers of those able to swim in this area are staggeringly low in comparison to other parts of Hampshire and, given our proximity to the coast, it’s really important that children can access these lessons.”
Councillor Gillian Harris, Havant Borough Council’s Cabinet Lead for Regeneration and Communities, added: “One of our priorities is to improve wellbeing across the borough and getting children and young people more active is an important part of this. We recognise that cost is a barrier to accessing leisure facilities and activities for many families on limited incomes. This scheme will make swimming accessible for children who otherwise might not be able to have lessons or even just swim for fun.”
Mike Lyons, Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Leisure, said: “We are passionate about delivering high-quality, inclusive swimming lessons for our community and we currently provide swimming lessons to more than 3,000 local children per week. We are committed to reducing barriers to access and through this special partnership we will be able to deliver swimming lessons to those most financially vulnerable in our community.”
Following the course, families will be able to swim together at a reduced cost through Horizon Leisure’s Community Discount programme. This is available to those on a range of qualifying benefits, including Universal Credit, Income Support, and Pension Credit.
Portsmouth Water is also expanding wider community support, including its Matched Payment Scheme, which has already helped 2,386 customers with £358,000 in matched payments. By 2030, the scheme aims to assist 6,250 customers with a total of £938,000. Other measures include growth of the company’s Priority Services Register, the continuation of payment holidays, and the introduction of a new Hardship Fund.