The council has been given a grant by the government to cover most of the cost. Council contractor DC Leisure Management Ltd, which runs the borough’s leisure centres, will make up some of the shortfall, some costs will be met by the council and the remaining money has come from NHS Wandsworth. Only the Tooting Bec Lido is excluded.

Cllr Rosemary Torrington is deputy chairman of the environment and leisure overview and scrutiny committee, with particular responsibility for sport. She said the new scheme will help keep people fit and healthy:

“The council has clear priorities to help keep older people fit, active and independent, to help children lead active, happy lives, to make sport and leisure available to everyone and to cut obesity.

“This new scheme will help us achieve all those things and will encourage people to use some of the excellent facilities we have here in Wandsworth. We are delighted to be working with NHS Wandsworth to enable more people take part in this initiative and are grateful for their additional support”

Anyone wishing to take advantage of this offer can register for free swimming at the Balham, Latchmere, Putney or Tooting Leisure Centres, or online at www.dcleisurecentres.co.uk As well as the government programme, NHS Wandsworth is giving extra funding to enable the council to provide free swimming for families during April. The aim is to encourage adults to sign up their children.

The Council advises us that further promotions will be available during the summer, including free family centre memberships and subsidised swimming lessons for people aged 16 and under and older people aged 60 and over. This will help people who can’t swim benefit from the government’s free swimming initiative.

The council and NHS Wandsworth have a joint duty to help improve the health of the people of Wandsworth, as laid out in the long-term borough ‘blueprint’ Our Wandsworth 2018.