Over 800 wait for swimming lessons while Olympia shut

HUNDREDS of children have been forced on to a waiting list for swimming lessons in Dundee following the closure of the Olympia pools.

Figures obtained by The Telegraph show 733 youngsters and 71 adults are on a Leisure and Culture Dundee waiting list for classes.

Nearly 370 of them were added to the list when the Olympia pools shut last October, as lessons could no longer be held at the £32 million centre.

The pools are expected to remain shut until October 2023 for major repairs.

A small number of people have been waiting for swimming lessons for more than two years, including three youngsters who applied in January 2020.

But it is likely the number of people looking to take lessons in the city is even higher, as waiting lists for all age groups are currently closed.

The lack of availability of lessons in Dundee has sparked concerns about water safety.

Lee Heard, charity director at Royal Lifesaving Society Scotland UK, said: “Unfortunately, we see a large number of accidental drownings occurring in the UK each year and Scotland specifically has seen a high number of fatalities in recent years.

“With the right skills and knowledge that can be developed through the combination of swimming lessons and water safety education, we know that accidental drownings are avoidable.”

Scotland had the highest rate of accidental water deaths in the UK in 2021, with 58 incidents across the country.

Mr Heard added: “Ensuring that children have access to swimming lessons is incredibly important as it provides them with the opportunity to develop their relationship with the water and learn some of the skills that are needed when they are in the water.

“Alongside swimming lessons, water safety education is vital for children.

“We fear that if children do not have access to swimming lessons and water safety education, we will see even more accidental drownings taking place.”

Leisure and Culture Dundee was contacted for comment.

Some 733 children are on the list.