A new £140m scheme to offer free swimming to over-60s and under-16s is to be be launched at the Eltham Centre in Greenwich, London, will eventually benefit around 20 million people to swim for free from Wednesday 1 April 2009.

Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Andy Burnham, Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell, 400m freestyle world record holder Joanne Jackson, Paralympic gold medallist Heather Frederiksen and Olympic swimmer and Strictly Come Dancing star Mark Foster will all be at the event.

The scheme has also been backed by actor and comedian David Walliams, who swam the English Channel for Sport Relief in 2006.

More than 1,000 pools run by almost 300 local councils will offer free swimming for people over 60 and under 16 as part of the scheme.

The £140m cash injection, announced last June, is part of the Government's promise to help get two million people more active by the time London hosts the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012.

Four out of five local councils in England have signed up to provide free swimming for over 60s, with more than 200 offering it to young people. But people will also be able to use pools in other local council areas if their own council is not taking part in the scheme.

Until now only around 10 councils have offered any year-round free access.

The scheme is guaranteed to run for at least two years - the period covered by the Government's current spending review.

In the first year, more than £31m will go to local councils to help meet the cost of providing free access to pools during standard swimming sessions.

visit http://www.culture.gov.uk for more information

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