Council leisure closures will 'devastate' children

For more than 20 years young swimmers in Airdrie have been given their first taste of competition at the John Smith Pool.

But the future of Airdrie and Monklands Swimming Club is now under threat after it was listed among 39 facilities to be closed by North Lanarkshire Council in budget cuts.

Club treasurer Linda Scott said the news was "devastating" but believes it will bring communities together.

She told BBC Scotland News: "We're going to fight this as much as we possibly can."

Ms Scott described the support from young people and parents as "tremendous".

She added: "The children are devastated. This is their club, this is their home, this is their community.

"They love all their friends, they're here for sport, they're here for mental health and for social aspects."

While the club has had swimmers compete for Scottish and British titles, for many of the young people it is as much about socialising and escaping teenage pressures.

Beth, 16, has been part of the club for seven years.

She said: "Swimming helps me de-stress, especially with exams and everything. During exams I think I was in the pool more because it kind of clears your head.

"I don't know what it would be like without the club because there's a big social aspect too. I've met loads of people from different schools, it's a community."

The pool has been open in Airdrie for decades.

Her mother Dorothy said generations of the family have learned to swim at the pool.

"It would be a travesty if they shut it," she said.

"I learned to swim here, my four daughters learned to swim here. It's a great social aspect. I don't understand why they would want to shut it.

"The people making the decisions need to come down and visit the pool and see the multi-generations that are using it."

Community centres and libraries are also under threat across North Lanarkshire but the closure of sporting facilities has generated the most anger.

2016 Olympian Derek Hawkins coaches at Airdrie Harriers athletics club, which also faces the prospect of its outdoor centre closing for good.

The marathon runner said: "Sport is an important aspects for most peoples' lives. It teaches you so many things - hard work, team work, how to deal with success and disappointment - the things you need throughout your life.

"People need to be healthy and active and sport provides that and with all these facilities closing its going to be a lot harder to do that."

Other athletics facilities in the council area are either fully booked or too small to accommodate the Harriers almost 200 members.

Mr Hawkins said: "The people involved are brilliant and I'm sure they'll find a way to keep it going.

"It's going to be incredibly difficult though."