Like most sports journalists, I follow trends in UK sports avidly, from the 147 school playing fields that were sold off for development last year to an initiative promoted by Culture Secretary Andy Burnham who wants everyone under-16 and everyone over 60 to be able to swim in England’s swimming pools for free.

I’ve listened to Burnham on the radio and read his comments in the nationals, and I really believe he wants to do what most governments rarely do – give the old and the young something for nothing.

‘Initially it is hoped that local authorities will use a £130 million fund to provide free sessions to all those aged under 16 and over 60,’ he said. ‘The hope is that all age groups will eventually benefit and that by 2012 as many areas as possible will open their public pools for free. Since 1997, £250 million has been invested in swimming’.

His is a tremendous initiative, and I cannot think of any sport better equipped than swimming to satisfy and train up all the family, from mums and toddlers to dads and grandparents.

If everyone swam at least ten lengths a day, the savings in NHS bills in the UK would more than make up for the few million quid it’s costing to send people to the pool for free.

Will the same initiative ever take root in Jersey? No,probably not. After all, we have to charge money so that we can include GST on it, although if I was a politician I’d love my legacy to be one of treating every Islander to as many free dips in the pool as they could possibly want.