Belfast City Council will train staff and provide additional pool time across its leisure centres to better accommodate children with autism after the passing of the ‘inclusive leisure motion’ at Tuesday’s People and Communities Committee meeting.
 
The motion around inclusive leisure centres will ensure 14 hours of additional pool time for children with autism. Council will also facilitate training of leisure centre staff to ensure they can provide quality care for children with disabilities.
 
People Before Profit Councillor Matt Collins has thanked the support of the Colin Autism Support Network and Swimming Buddies after his proposal was accepted at the meeting in City Hall.
 
“I am very proud to have brought this proposal to Council and to have worked alongside so many passionate people involved in the fight for inclusive services, including those at Swimming Buddies and the parents of the Colin Autism Support Network” he said.
 
Councillor Michael Collins, who brought the inclusive leisure motion, expressed his delight following the decision.

“This is a significant and pathbreaking step toward improving leisure services for all,” he said.
 
“The motion came off the back of several discussions with the Colin Autism Support Network, where parents outlined a dire lack of accessible services. Currently, Brook Leisure Centre is the only leisure centre in Belfast that facilitates swimming lessons for children with autism.”
 
He continued: “The organisation that provides these, Swimming Buddies, has a waiting list of hundreds of children in Belfast who cannot avail of these lessons due to a lack of pool time available to them.
 
“Belfast City Council will allocate an additional 14 hours of pool space across Falls, Shankill, Whiterock, and Templemore Leisure Centres to facilitate teaching children with autism and other disabilities, such as visual impairment, how to swim. It will also facilitate staff training to help make this a reality.
 
“Lastly, Council has committed to working alongside Swimming Buddies to provide inclusive water slide sessions in Andersonstown Leisure Centre. This is an exciting change for children who previously might not have been able to avail of this fantastic facility.