The Impact of the Free Swimming Programme in a Local Community in the South East of England: Giving with One Hand, Taking Away with the Other

Themis Kokolakakis, Athanasios Sakis Pappous and Steve Meadows
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Themis Kokolakakis: Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC), Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield S10 2BP, UK
Athanasios Sakis Pappous: School of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Kent, Chatham ME4 4AG, UK
Steve Meadows: School of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Kent, Chatham ME4 4AG, UK

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-20

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the introduction of the Free Swimming Programme (FSP) in a local community (not identified to preserve anonymity) in the South East of England. The question has been approached in a variety of ways: by using primary quantitative data from leisure centres and logistic regressions based on the Active People Survey (APS). Problems are identified related to the introduction of the FSP in this community and suggestions are made for future policy. A brief examination of swimming participation in England enables researchers to place this community into a national context. The problems and policies of sport organisation developed in this community are not dissimilar to a more general application reflecting the English experience; in this sense it is anticipated that the findings will enable managers of sport organisations, along with public health policy makers, to focus more effectively on raising sport participation. The unique selling points of this article are the examination of FSP for adult participants, the local analysis of junior and senior participation, and the overall assessment of the policy based on APS.

Keywords: health impact; swimming participation; Active People Survey; logistic analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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