“They choose to go in the shower instead of having playtime because they freeze like that.” “It kills the desire to swim among very many of the children. Their lips are completely blue after every workout.” “It’s urgent”. This is an extract from some of the complaints the municipality has received about the brand new pool that was completed last summer. Like many other municipalities, Bergen villa has saved electricity for the past year. This has had major consequences for children’s swimming lessons. Bergens Svømme Club’s (BSC) members have literally experienced it first hand. Yuliana Ng is the swimming school manager at BSC. Photo: Maria Gunnarsdotter Svedal / news Blue on the lips and tears Throughout the autumn, winter and spring, several people have stopped swimming lessons. – It’s cold in the air and cold in the pool. Usually I send them in the shower to warm up, but it’s cold there too, says Yuliana Ng, swimming school manager at BSC. She depicts children whose lips turn blue, who catch colds and who grin. According to her, there is little joy in swimming to be found. – There are many who quit because of the temperature. The facility was ready in June 2022. Since the autumn, BSC has had swimming training there. And at about the same time, the municipality decided that the temperature should drop. Since then, BSC has experienced the facility as too cold. The pool is equipped with a wheelchair ramp. Photo: Maria Gunnarsdotter Svedal / news – Not favorable Maren Solem-Lygre is the leader of BCS. She explains that the problem is greatest for the youngest children. – When you start learning to swim, you may be a little anxious, perhaps a little afraid and then cold water builds up under your slightly high shoulders. You can play, splash and have fun in warm water. Maren Solem-Lygre says the facility is “absolutely fantastic”, but that it is too cold. Photo: Maria Gunnarsdotter Svedal / news The pool at Kronstad is a training pool. It is universally designed, adapted for children with special needs and has, among other things, a ramp for a wheelchair. – Such a pool should have a temperature of between 30 and 34 degrees, depending on the age of the swimmers and what kind of activity they engage in, says Jan Kjensli of the Norwegian Swimming Association. In Kronstad, the temperature is between 27 and 28 degrees. It is a normal temperature in a pool for training and competition for young people and adults. – The temperature in this pool is not favorable, he says. The municipality points out that there is a requirement that new facilities must have a universal design and that they have other pools with a higher temperature. “Impossible to learn to swim” Many parents have contacted us with their complaints. Since BSC has no control over the temperature, they have sent them on to the municipality. “We pay for swimming lessons, but it is impossible to learn to swim in these conditions.” “At the last swim there were three children who did not want to be in the water”. “If the temperature is not increased, I will take the child out of swimming lessons. He has blue lips and cold feet every time after training”. – It is a very, very pity that children and young people cannot learn to swim and cannot take part in water fun because the pool is cold, says Solem-Lygre. Peikar points to the politicians – The measures have been taken to reduce energy consumption and to bring down the cost of energy. Bergen municipality had a large increase in energy costs last year, says Harald Blytt in the municipality’s building technology department. He says they have generally received fewer complaints than they had expected after the municipality chose to lower the temperature in the municipal facilities. He points out that it is a political decision that is the basis for the temperature change. In the same way, a new political decision is needed if the temperature is to rise again. For the more active children, the temperature is not as big a problem. Photo: Maria Gunnarsdotter Svedal / news Politicians take on Solem-Lygre in BSC say employees have used wetsuits to keep warm. She also points out that their sick leave has increased this winter. For now, they think they have done what they can for their members. – We have sent the little ones to another pool with warmer water, but there is not room for everyone, says Ng. Now they hope that the municipality will change the temperature decision before swimming starts again in the autumn. And there is hope for a warmer pool in the future. – One thing is to stop swimming. The second thing I have noticed is that children do not want to participate in swimming lessons at our schools. When we now get these messages, we have to increase the temperature again, says city councilor for schools and sports, Linn Katrin Pilskog. She is supported by the city council for property, Per-Arne Larsen. – I think it is important that children receive good swimming training. When I am told that a reduced temperature leads to fewer children in education, I think there is reason to reassess exactly this, he says. The pool was new in June 2022. Photo: Maria Gunnarsdotter Svedal / news
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Bergen municipality wanted to save money on electricity – the pool was so cold that children stopped swimming – news Vestland
