Stornoway’s Sunday swimmers need your help (and a little bit of cash)

Posted by on 11 November, 2016 | 0 comments

Comhairle nan Eilean Sia (Western Isles Council) consider it sinful to swim in the public baths on Sunday. That is a matter for them. They wish to impose this view on all Stornoway sports facility users. That is a matter for all of us. It is discrimination against non-Christians, and indeed against the many Christians who think that taking a swim on the Sabbath is ok.
Such discrimination is illegal, and the Council knows it but doesn’t care. As one Councillor told a constituent, Whatever you or any legal department has to say, our belief and values with regard to Sundays matter.”

Nonetheless, the official reasons are financial. And the beautifully named FiSH, Families into Sports and Health, want to call their bluff. FiSH is an organisation that has sprung up among the users of the sports facility, and has set out to raise the money needed for a twelve month trial by crowdfunding. We are not talking about a large sum (£11,400), and they are already a third of the way there.
You can contribute, comment, and learn more about the background, here. Your contribution will not be collected unless the full amount can be raised. If, faced with a successful campaign, the Council has second thoughts and the money is not needed, donors will be consulted about passing on the money to a local children’s charity.

So if you think freedom of conscience matters if you think it wrong for believers in one particular version of one particular faith to impose their rules on the rest of us, if you think that public bodies such as Councils ought to respect the law please help.

Information and donations at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/isl-sports-centre-opening-sundays-12-month-trial-community#/ . You can join the FiSH Facebook group here.

Leave a Reply