A 79-year-old swimmer from Gellilydan has echoed the sentiments of her friend who told the Cambrian News last week how slashing free swimming sessions for the over-60s will affect the health of Gwynedd’s pensioners.

Myra Clayton from Morfa Bychan said reducing the free session to just one hour a week was devastating for her and her friends whose health had benefited from swimming regularly.

Now 77-year-old Val Jones has been in touch to share her fears for the NHS following the cut in free hours.

“I’ve been going swimming for 18 months and I’ve lost four stone,” Val said.

“I’m no longer diabetic because of that and I know Gwynedd has lost funding for free sessions but the government preaches to the elderly to exercise and then they don’t fund it.

“I don’t want to put the weight back on and I don’t want to be diabetic again but I’m on pension credit and I won’t be able to afford to go.”

Val has been swimming four times a week at Glaslyn Leisure Centre in Porthmadog, but fears she’ll no longer be able to do that.

“I’ve got bills to pay and at £2.80 a session it soon adds up,” she said.

“And the free hour they’re offering, on Mondays from 9am to 10am, isn’t suitable for me. It would be better if you could take a free hour once a week whenever you wanted to.”

The changes will be introduced across Gwynedd from 1 October.

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