Only 65 per cent of Oxfordshire children can swim 25 meters by the age of 11, says the charity Active Oxfordshire.

In disadvantaged areas, the figure drops to less than 10 per cent.

In response to these stark figures, Better leisure centres in West Oxfordshire are offering discounted swimming lessons to make them more accessible.

Discounts of up to 20 per cent on swim school memberships and 50 per cent on holiday short course lessons apply across all Better leisure centres in Oxfordshire.

These deals are targeted at YouMove families who may receive various benefits, including housing benefits, income support, job seeker’s allowance, working families tax credit, carers allowance, and universal credit.

Additionally, refugees and those in possession of a disabled ID card are eligible for the discount.

A summer offer is also running until July 31, 2024, where new members can receive a 50% discount on their first payment at specific centres by using the code SUMMER50.

Jennifer Bennett, healthy communities officer at Publica, said: "The discounts offered by GLL have helped children in West Oxfordshire who would usually struggle to get into swimming lessons to access lessons and improve their swimming ability.

"West Oxfordshire has a comprehensive programme of activity for YouMove families and swimming lessons is an essential part of that."

The Better centres, run by charitable social enterprise GLL, also offer up to 50% off other pay-as-you-go activities for adults as well as children with YouMove memberships.