View From The Water
Simon Griffiths looks at the value of swimming
In September, Swim England released their latest Value of Swimming report. The headline figure claims that: “swimming generated more than £2.4 billion of social value in 2022.”
This value was created through improved physical and mental health, increased life satisfaction and better social and community development, among other things.
On health, the report says swimming helped prevent more than 78,500 cases of ill health in 2022 through reducing conditions including chronic heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, clinical depression and back pain. The 2,500 cases of dementia prevented each year save the NHS roughly £106m and the 22,516 cases of type 2 diabetes prevented saves another £103m – as well as reducing the personal suffering that come with those conditions.