Leverkusen does without new swimming containers: future uncertain!

Leverkusen does without new swimming containers: future uncertain!

The city of Leverkusen made the decision not to buy its own swimming container, although recent developments around the swimming container "Narwali" have received great encouragement on the grounds of the GGS Heinrich-Lübke-Straße. The temporary container, which was operated by the district sports association Düren in cooperation with the state of North Rhine -Westphalia, enjoyed a positive response because it offered numerous swimming courses for schools and clubs. This decision is particularly due to an existing household hole that does not allow the city to invest in its own container.

During the usage period of the "Narwali" from September 30, 2024 to November 22nd, 2024, numerous offers were perceived. The modernly equipped container offered space for water habituation, parent-child courses, water aerobics and technology courses with a counter-current system. A maximum of 12 children can participate per course, which guarantees individual care. The swimming area is 11.5 meters long, 2.8 meters wide and has a water depth of 0.9 to 1.3 meters, at a pleasant 30 degrees Celsius.

increase the swimming capacity of children

The “Narwali” project aims to increase the swimming capacity and familiarization of children. An alarming statistics of the district sports association Düren shows that in North Rhine-Westphalia only 4 out of 10 children can swim safely after primary school. In addition, the number of non -swimmers has doubled between 2017 and 2022. This development makes the need for such initiatives all the more pressing.

The courses are offered for schools from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the week, while clubs and other interested parties have the opportunity to use the container during the week from 4 p.m. and at the weekend. The cost of the courses is between free and 90 euros, depending on the type of course. For example, the parent-child swimming costs 45 euros for 1-3-year-olds, while the water habituation course is free for 5-7-year-olds. In addition, there is free holiday fun for children between the ages of 5 and 12 in the autumn holidays from October 14 to 25, 2024.

Financial hurdles and future perspectives

Despite positive feedback and a significant demand for swimming offers, the city of Leverkusen has had discussions with potential sponsors. However, the implementation of your own swimming container is initially put on ice. This is a direct consequence of the city's financial difficulties, which currently does not have the means to realize such a project.

At the broader level, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia has extended the state program "NRW can swim! Learning swimming during the holidays and in leisure time" by 2028. The funding is increased to 1.8 million euros. The grant per course increases from 350 to 450 euros, while the own contribution for the participants remains ten euros. These measures should contribute to the improvement of the swimming capacity of children in the region in the long term, such as Schulsport-nrw.de reports.