A GRANT of £22,688 will allow all under-16s on Teesside to swim for free during the school summer holidays.
The scheme, at Eston Sports Academy pool was launched by Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth athlete, Allison Curbishley.
She said: "It will give young people an opportunity to engage in physical activity every day through swimming and thus improve their health and introduce them to health activity.
"It also gives children the opportunity to be positively and actively engaged during the long summer holidays."
The free swim scheme follows similar schemes in Glasgow and recently in Wales, where the Welsh Assembly has funded free swimming for all under-16s living in ten local authorities in Wales for the summer holiday period.
Tees Valley Leisure and Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust were awarded the £22,668 from Redcar and Cleveland Neighbourhood Renewal Fund for the free swimming for all under 16s.
The money will mainly be spent on paying extra staff.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article