Tens of thousands of free swimming sessions for children and young people in Dorset have been accessed during the summer months.

This initiative was made possible by additional funding that allowed Dorset Council to offer all residents under the age of 16 free swimming from July 25 to September 4 in participating leisure centres across the county.

A total of 28,189 swimming sessions were accessed over the school holiday.

Cllr Andrew Parry, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Children, Education and Early Help said: “It was wonderful to be able to enable families to have extra fun in the water without added pressure on their finances. In a coastal county, the importance of improving water confidence and skills cannot be understated and we are grateful to all the leisure centres who got involved to make this such a success.”

"As well as swimming sessions thousands of children and young people took part in Summer in Dorset, a wide and vibrant collection of enriching activities that all include a nutritious meal. Young people who are eligible for benefit-related Free school meals, were able to access all Summer in Dorset free of charge.

"A huge thank you must go to the local Leisure Centres who provided their pools and other facilities to so many children."

Participating Leisure Centres include:

  • Bridport Leisure Centre
  • 1610 Dorchester Sports Centre
  • Weymouth Swimming Pool
  • Osprey Leisure Centre, Portland
  • Purbeck Sports Centre, Wareham
  • Ferndown Leisure Centre
  • Queen Elizabeth Leisure Centre, Wimborne
  • Blandford Leisure Centre
  • RiversMeet, Gillingham
  • Shaftesbury Lido