Council apologises over Penrith Swimming Club review as petition to save lessons gathers pace
No decisions have been made and there's no threat to the club's future, says Westmorland and Furness Council
Westmorland and Furness Council has apologised after admitting its communication over a review of swimming lessons at Penrith Leisure Centre "has not been as clear as it should have been".
The review looks at the Learn to Swim programme run by Penrith Swimming Club, which was formed in 1881 and is based at the leisure centre.
It comes as a public petition to protect the club's provision has gathered more than 1,500 verified signatures.
No suggestion of wrongdoing
In its statement, the council moved to reassure the club and the public, stressing there was "no suggestion of impropriety on the part of the Swim Club or its volunteers".
It said references to safeguarding, qualifications, facility use and operational procedures were used only to describe standard considerations around leisure contracts.
"We apologise for any distress caused by the use of these terms when discussing the review," the statement said.
The council pointed out that Penrith Swimming Club is a Swim England affiliated club and has held the highest level of Swim England accreditation for 10 consecutive years.
What the review covers
The council said the review of the Learn to Swim programme is part of a wider standardisation process across the leisure portfolio of GLL, the charitable social enterprise that operates Penrith Leisure Centre.
The club's club-ready sessions, talent pathways and competitive swimming opportunities are not included in the review, and there are no proposed changes to those activities or to the club's use of the pools.
Only the Learn to Swim programme for beginners is under review, the council said.
It added that no decisions had been made and that its focus was on "finding a positive and sustainable way forward".
"We absolutely want to ensure there is no threat to the future of the swimming club," it said.
The club's position
The club, which is run entirely by volunteers, has launched a petition asking the public to help protect its future.
It says GLL has proposed that the club stops delivering its Learn to Swim provision at the leisure centre.
The club argues its provision is different from conventional swimming lessons, saying it introduces children to competitive swimming and develops the technique and skills they need to progress in the sport.
It says its swimmers have gone on to compete at regional, national and international level, including the Olympic Games.
The club also says it drove the campaign to build the teaching pool in the 1990s, raising tens of thousands of pounds, and continues to spend around £40,000 a year on pool hire.
"We want to work constructively with GLL and Westmorland and Furness Council to secure a solution," the petition says.
Formal arrangement being explored
The council said Penrith Swimming Club does not currently have a formal arrangement in place for its Learn to Swim programme, describing a situation that had "arisen from historic arrangements that developed over the many years that the Club has been based at the Leisure Centre".
It said there was no suggestion the absence of a formal agreement was intentional or that the club was at fault, adding that the two sides had been working to formalise the arrangement since 2023.
As part of the process, the council said it must be decided whether the Penrith and Eden communities would be best served by a single offer of beginner lessons from GLL, or separate offers from both GLL and the swimming club.
The council said it is exploring options to formalise future partnership arrangements through a Community Use Agreement, following Sport England best practice, with the club involved throughout.
Meetings scheduled
Discussions involve the council, GLL, Penrith Swimming Club and Swim England, the national governing body for swimming, which is supporting the conversations.
Meetings are scheduled to take place in late August and September, with no set date for a decision.
The council said swimming remained a core part of its leisure offer and highlighted the importance of water safety in an area with a significant presence of open water.
Over the summer, more than 200 children were given free water safety sessions in partnership with leisure providers and the Cumbria Water Safety Partnership Group.