9:24am Tuesday 12th February 2008
By Emily Roberts
A SWIMMING club which has been serving the community for more than 40 years has been told it can no longer use Loughton pool for its lessons on a Monday evening.
Loughton Swimmers has made swimming accessible to everyone for many years by keeping its prices low, but the club will be forced to turn away members when their booking is terminated in March.
John Brooker, chairman of the non-profit club, said Sports and Leisure Management (SLM), which runs the leisure centre, gave no reason or warning before deciding to end the club's sessions at the Traps Hill pool.
He said: "The letter they sent us said they want to provide more swimming for the local community, but we've served the community for 41 years."
He believes SLM want to get rid of the lessons because they want to make more money and feel threatened by the low prices Loughton Swimmers offer.
The club has 185 members and has been using the pool since it first opened, but its hours have been reduced over the years to two hours on a Monday evening.
The club has been offered an alternative slot on Saturday evening but Mr Brooker said this time is impossible to fill.
Loughton Leisure Centre general manager Dan Humphries said: "We appreciate Saturday evening is not the best time but we need to use their space for public swimming instead. We're not meeting the needs of the community when we have clubs using the pool from Monday to Thursday.
"I appreciate Loughton Swimmers have got a lot of children swimming and it would be a shame to loose that but we feel it will be better to give the time to the public. It was a difficult decision to make."
Loughton Swimmers secretary Beryl Dearn has been a part of the club for 33 years and is angry at the news.
She said: "We're considered to be the best swimming club in the area and the parents of our children will be flummoxed by the news.
"SLM said they want to give our time to the community but what's better than what we already give? We teach children from five years old up to 80 year old adults who want to learn how to swim so they can go on holiday with grandchildren."
Epping Forest District Council deputy chief executive Derek Macnab has expressed his support for the club, saying: "I've asked SLM to re-consider their decision.
"Loughton Swimming Club does not have a guaranteed slot but it has met on Monday evenings for many years. It provides a very good service for local swimmers and I hope it will continue to do so."
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