THERE are fears that Brimbank council’s decision to axe a women-only program in St Albans will leave vulnerable residents without the opportunity to swim.
Class member Fatima Haider says the program at St Albans Leisure Centre will stop on Sunday after seven years.
She said the classes, designed for women from a range of religious and cultural backgrounds, had provided an important community service for residents needing a tailored environment.
“There are some religious and cultural barriers for many of these women, so they only feel comfortable swimming in this setting,” she said.
“Some of them have suffered from personal abuse. There is a big mix of backgrounds, from immigrants to refugees. For this class to close, it’s quite saddening,’’ she said.
The council’s community wellbeing director, Neil Whiteside, said class numbers had decreased significantly over the past year, with only five women attending on average.
“On review of the associated costs to maintain the program and its attendance rate, the decision has been made to suspend the program,” he said.
“The program will continue to run at Sunshine Leisure Centre, on Saturday evenings at 5pm on a fortnightly basis.”
Ms Haider said classes had once attracted up to 30 women.
“To my knowledge all of the women live in the area and some arrive by public transport.
‘‘They will have to travel further to swim, it’s not ideal.”
She also raised concerns about the promotion of the classes saying she hadn’t seen any at the pool or online.
Participant and Victoria University researcher Dr Rizwana Kousar said the classes were too important to lose.
“This initiative is imperative to the overall health and wellbeing of many women in the Brimbank area,” she said.
“Type 2 diabetes is on the increase. I strongly implore management to reconsider this decision.”
