We have organised a series of pool activities for children and young people aged 18 and under living in County Durham.

The aim is to encourage young people to be more active and enjoy themselves, with a choice of free ‘fun with inflatables’ and general swimming sessions on offer.

Running from Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October, the sessions are open to children and young people who live in County Durham. It follows the success of a similar scheme that ran throughout the summer holidays, which saw more than 9,000 youngsters enjoy more than 28,000 swims.

It’s wonderful that so many children and young people took part in our free summer holiday swimming sessions. Not only is swimming a great way to stay fit and healthy, but it is also good fun too.

We know it can be tricky to keep youngsters entertained when they are off school and so we are delighted to offer these free sessions again over the half-term holidays.”

Adults who qualify for a concessional rate can also swim for free if their child is unable to swim and needs some support in the pool.

To find out about the sessions on offer, visit: www.durham.gov.uk/swimming

Residents are encouraged to sign up for a free Thrive card in advance, which will allow children access to sessions. Sign up is only needed once, and children who already have a Thrive card do not need to apply for a new one. Parents and carers can get a Thrive card by visiting www.durham.gov.uk/thrivecard