The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, through the National Sports Commission annual Easter “Learn to Swim” programme is moving ahead as planned, even as refurbishment work begins on the Olympic-sized pool at the National Aquatic Centre.

Minister within the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport, Steven Jacobs, explained that the decision to rehabilitate the pool followed a comprehensive audit of major sporting facilities across the country.

According to the minister, the audit conducted with Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle, revealed that the Olympic-sized pool requires significant upgrades to bring it up to standard.

“We’ve held a meeting just recently with the swimming community to give them a brief and an update we’re heading out for tender to fix the entire Olympic size pool to make sure that it is up to standard we had some issues with the slab so we’re fixing that,” he explained.

While the upgrades are being carried out, swimmers will temporarily shift their activities to the Colgrain Swimming Pool, which is currently being prepared to accommodate training and programme activities.

“We are preparing that facility for the learn to swim because the swimming community will have to use that facility while we fix the aquatic centre so we’re fixing Colgrain to ensure that it is in shape because we will have to use it for a couple of months and this learn to swim programme has been a very successful programme thousands of persons have passed through this programme,” the minister added.

He continued, “We’ve worked really hard. Minister Charles and the team before I came in especially with this programme worked really hard to establish this programme and to make sure that it is sustained and make sure that the performance of this programme is at a very high level. So in relation to safety and everything for this programme, [it] already in place.”

This year’s programme is expected to be conducted at pools in Anna Regina, Albion, Wismar and Colgrain.

Registration has already opened online, with officials encouraging as many participants as possible to sign up.

The programme is scheduled to run from March 30–31 and April 1–2 and 7–10