THE closure of a Torfaen swimming club could cause a "generation of non-swimmers" in Blaenavon, the head coach fears.

Blaenafon Barracudas, founded 42 years ago, held its last training session on Sunday and the club is competing in its last event – the Swim Wales Summer Nationals in Swansea – this week.

The Blaenavon Leisure and Sport Trust (BLAST) raised £30,000 to save Blaenavon Recreation Centre in 2007 but the attempt failed and the swimming pool closed nine years ago.

The club has since trained at the Pontypool Active Living Centre.

“This is the true legacy of the pool closure - a lost generation of non-swimmers from a town with a proud swimming heritage,” said head coach Kevin Rogers, adding his concerns for social and health impacts would be felt for ‘years to come’.

He added the club was folding as it was no longer sustainable due to rising costs, falling membership and lack of swimmers coming into the club from Blaenavon.

“We are told by our membership secretary that since the pool closed, the number of children in school who cannot swim has risen alarmingly,” said Mr Rogers.

“All children in the lessons programme are directed either to Torfaen Dolphins or Cwmbran Otters, who are both in partnership with the Trust, so we are starved of new blood.”

Mr Rogers added that the club has had its best year this year since the pool closed, with more swimmers achieving national qualifying times than ever before.

The chairman of BLAST, John Beavan, was a former club coach and feels that the decision is a sad reflection on how Blaenavon is viewed within Torfaen in terms of sport.

“I was saddened to hear of the demise of Blaenavon Barracudas, which has been brought about by active discrimination against the club by Torfaen Leisure Trust,” he said.

Mr Beavan said Blaenavon had suffered ‘for years’ in that respect, because leisure facilities were operated ‘by accountants and not people with a passion for sport’.

“Quite apart from the safety aspects of learning to swim, children enjoy swimming or competing for their hometown. It is a sad day for Blaenavon and also for Torfaen and the so-called sporting trust,” he said.

However, Sally Church, the chief executive of the Torfaen Leisure Trust, has confirmed that the group does not have any agenda, and works with all sports groups from Torfaen on the same basis.

“The Trust completely and utterly refutes these ‘disparaging remarks which unfairly attribute certain ‘discriminatory’ actions in the way the Trust carries out its business’. The Trust operates the same non-discriminatory policy with all swimming clubs,” she said.

“The Trust works with a large number of clubs and groups representing a wide range of sports and there have never been any such remarks or comments made by these clubs and groups about the way in which the Trust operates.

“In fact the opposite is true, the Trust works tirelessly to work to increase levels of physical activity in the community and targets underrepresented groups.

Ms Church added that she received an email from Mr Rogers, thanking the Trust and the poolside team for their work over the past decade, adding the closure was due to dwindling membership and rising costs.