Pool closure ‘will kill off any Filey Olympic dream’
Only months after the Olympic torch passed through Filey, the decision to axe Filey Pool could ruin the golden dreams of the town’s children.
That is the view of the mother of a Filey swimming ace, whose dreams of flying the flag for Team GB in the pool have been “devastated” by the decision to close down the only public pool in the town.
Talented teenager Erin Hope this week raised hundreds of pounds for charity by swimming 13 miles at the stricken pool, in preparation for a gruelling cross-Channel swim in the summer.
Like millions of youngsters inspired by the 2012 games, she hopes to one day win gold, which for the super-fit 14-year-old would be as an open water swimmer.
However, with the pool closure looming, her mum Trish says that the decision to close the pool will have a “devastating” effect on swimming in the town.
“Erin’s absolutely heartbroken that it’s been closed. She called me from school in tears to tell me that it was shutting,” said Trish.
“She wants to keep swimming and reach the highest level she can, but her main goal was, by the time she got to sixth form, to teach at Filey and to give something back.
“Now we don’t know if that will happen.”
There are hundreds of talented young swimmers using the pool in Filey, according to Trish.
However, youngsters are now facing a trips to The Bay for lessons on a Monday night, putting a strain on both their families’ time and finances.
Her concerns over Filey’s Olympic legacy have been echoed by Scarborough’s district Olympics co-ordinator Mitch Cook.
He said: “It’s really disappointing for the youth of Filey that it’s closing.”
“The Olympics should have meant that instead of closing facilities down, we are building more.”
Pool campaigners are now looking at putting together a financial plan for the pool.
If they believe the service could break even, then it is understood they will look at acquiring the pool through an asset transfer from the county council
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Weather for Filey
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 11 C to 15 C
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