50 golden years are set to end (From Penarth Times)

50 golden years are set to end

10:02pm Thursday 20th April 2006 in Latest news

A PENARTH swimming club has been forced to close after 50 years.

Former Penarth scouts and guides will be saddened to hear of the closure of the Penarth Scout and Guide Swimming Club.

During this time countless youngsters have benefited from swimming instruction which has been delivered in a non-competitive atmosphere.

The club saw its heyday during the 1960s when it was attended by cubs and scouts in the old Penarth Baths on the Esplanade.

The popularity of the club was such that two teams were needed to represent Penarth at the annual County Swimming Gala.

Girls were first admitted during the 1970s when membership was extended to all brownies and guides of the Penarth districts. The club then became a joint venture between the Scout and Guide Associations.

Following the closure of the Penarth Baths in 1985 the club continued its success at Penarth Leisure Centre, where it flourished in the 1990s.

Brian Jones, a leader of the Penarth Scout and Guide Swimming Club, said: Unfortunately there was a fall off in membership during the winter of 2005-06 which brought the viability of the club into doubt. In response to this the leaders set about a recruitment drive which resulted in a dramatic increase of members from the Cub and Scout community. Disappointingly, The Guide Association closely followed by The Scout Association decided to withdraw their support from the club and as a result it has now closed.