Meeting of the Parliament 06 January 2026
I thank the committee for the work that it has done and, of course, the petitioners for raising the issue.
I will mention two particular pools and two particular communities in order to illustrate two specific points in the limited time that I have available. Those pools are in Govanhill, which is in the south side of Glasgow, and in Whitehill, Dennistoun, which is in the east end of Glasgow. Both pools have closed already—those are both communities that have lost their pools. In Govanhill’s case, 25 or so years ago, the council decided to close the pool despite the community’s valiant efforts to save it. Since then, the community, driven by its passion for what could be brought back to life, has, in the voluntary and non-profit sector, independently attempted to bring not just the building but all the services that it brought together back to life.
The community understands that, as other members have said, swimming pools are more than just swimming pools; they are community hubs and they can unite people across different demographics, foster a local identity, improve life skills and encourage young people to adopt healthy lifestyles. They can contribute to the local economy, too, by attracting and retaining people in the local community, as well as by attracting events. However, the community recognises that it does not have the resources that a local council has available to invest in the way that is required. If we are going to see any such assets brought back to life by communities, they, as well as local authorities, need to have the resources to invest.