as a matter of urgency. jane nickerson says that two thousand swimming pools are coming to the end of their lifespan and unless they are refurbished or replaced, the nation's success in aquatic sports is at stake. here's our sports correspondentjoe wilson. marshall street baths were built for victorian london, preserved, improved, and still used. exceptional. the big picture is bleak. swimming pools everywhere desperately need refurbishment or replacement, say swim england. it's the thing that keeps me absolutely awake at night. we know that by the end of this decade we could lose 40% of our pool stock. that is 2000 swimming pools. put that in context, that's millions of people that will lose out doing this wonderful activity which is brilliant for everybody. covid has accelerated the decline, especially with local authorities under huge financial pressure. over 200 pools which closed in england alone during the pandemic have not yet reopened. and yet in the summer, all this. and we could get two medals. can they be gold and silver? great britain's best ever swimming 0lympics. eight medals there. three times that number in the pool at the paralympics. what happened in tokyo began local. northamptonshire�*s maisie summers newton started swimming because there was a pool five minutes from her home. i always come back happy because it is my thing that i love. and i know so many people across the uk, no matter what age you are, ijust know that they enjoy it, and that is the main thing. as long as you are enjoying your sport. so i think without that they might just feel a bit lost and some people won't have another sport to relate to. swimming is so good for them. little else links and must participation quite like swimming. we all know it is valuable and none of it is possible without swimming pools. to restore the sports facilities, swim england's request? £1 billion of central government funding. government say they are already providing that figure across sporting recovery. the financial reality requires some deep breaths. joe wilson, bbc news. earlier i spoke to the former commonwelth swimming champion and olympic silver medallist sharron davies. they a lot of people have sought and compete in the olympics absolutely incredible performance. very much the tip of the iceberg, were talking about providing swimming pools and leisure facilities for everybody to keep fit and healthy for that which if nothing else covid has shown us that we have to do. it if nothing else covid has shown us that we have to do.— that we have to do. it sounds like the 've that we have to do. it sounds like they've been _ that we have to do. it sounds like they've been run _ that we have to do. it sounds like they've been run down _ that we have to do. it sounds like they've been run down for - that we have to do. it sounds like they've been run down for a - that we have to do. it sounds like i they've been run down for a number of years, they are coming to the end of years, they are coming to the end of their life span, all these pools built in the 60s and 70s. who is at fault here, is this a council issue just not looking after the facilities?— just not looking after the facilities? , . ., , ., , facilities? yes, certainly not been keein: facilities? yes, certainly not been keeping up _ facilities? yes, certainly not been keeping up to _ facilities? yes, certainly not been keeping up to date. _ facilities? yes, certainly not been keeping up to date. they - facilities? yes, certainly not been keeping up to date. they were . facilities? yes, certainly not been keeping up to date. they were so | keeping up to date. they were so many pills to them at pools i would built up the 60s and 70s who have lately come to the end of the life of their life. in the way that they are economically and environmentally run. it needs a big cash injection by the government. they need to be very forward thinking. we have to work out where we want to be in ten years, 20 is on. do we want to be spending billions and billions more on the national health service or do we want to become a fitter and healthier nation? idd we want to become a fitter and healthier nation?— healthier nation? dd cms have resnonded _ healthier nation? dd cms have responded saying _ healthier nation? dd cms have responded saying they - healthier nation? dd cms have responded saying they have . healthier nation? dd cms have - responded saying they have pumped a load of money 100 million into the national legislature to enact centre recovery and many more on top of that. that barely scratches the surface when we are talking about £1 billion worth of investment required. billion worth of investment required-— billion worth of investment reuuired. ., ., ., required. we are one of the only nations in _ required. we are one of the only nations in the _ required. we are one of the only nations in the developed - required. we are one of the only nations in the developed world l required. we are one of the only i nations in the developed world that doesn't have a programme in place, a mandate in place so that every village, city that has so many people living in it has to have the required facilities to look after those people when it comes to health and leisure and well—being. we have to understand obesity rates are going up the amounts of money we spend on heart disease and diabetes has been going up. we have to tackle this at the bottom and not at the very top how do we try to improve those figures is that we can't do that unless we have important leisure facilities. swimming is a life skill, something you can do from the cradle to the grave. it's something that everyone can do no matter what disability, no matter what age. and it's really important that we arm our youngsters with that. this is a long—term change of attitude. we need to attack this now, we need to understand that if we don't do something about this and carry on the way that we are going were going to have a serious problem by the year 2030. were going to have a serious problem by the year 2030-— by the year 2030. sharon davis s-ueakin by the year 2030. sharon davis speaking to _ by the year 2030. sharon davis speaking to me _ by the year 2030. sharon davis speaking to me about - by the year 2030. sharon davis speaking to me about that - by the year 2030. sharon davis . speaking to me about that warning about the warning a 2000 pools could be shut by the end of the decade unless an awful lot of money is pumped into those facilities. unless an awful lot of money is pumped into those facilities. a year ago pip hare was about to start the vendee globe — one of sports most demanding races — single handed sailing non stop around the world. the british sailor had crowd—funded to get to the start line, only finding a sponsor at the last minute and during the 4 month race she won global recognition as she battled adversity in ferocious seas. she s now decided to go again in 2024 with a new boat & a bigger sponsorship deal. james burridge has been to see her. she sailed through some of the most treacherous waters in the world. tower bridge was a little calmer for pip hare, the british sailor who caught the publics imagination 12 months ago during the bond globe has doing it all over again in 202a. i doing it all over again in 2024. i can 100% say that the bond a global race was my greatest achievement in life. and it was the best experience i've had in my life everything i've done to date it has built up to that race and i learned so much about the course, but the rays, but myself. i loved it but also i know i can do better why would you not sign up for another one. the interesting thing about this boat is a go so much faster in a southern ocean dd celebration is going to be quite violent. and so although there is a bigger space i am going to get thrown around quite a lot more. i think for the south i'm going to need a helmet and body armour when i'm down here. last need a helmet and body armour when i'm down here-— i'm down here. last winter pip insired i'm down here. last winter pip insnired us _ i'm down here. last winter pip inspired us all— i'm down here. last winter pip| inspired us all single-handedly inspired us all single—handedly handling towering waves. 0ne inspired us all single—handedly handling towering waves. one month she changed brothers in freezing temperatures the next heroics attracted hollywood star russell crowe who sent her a special birthday message. just crowe who sent her a special birthday message.— crowe who sent her a special birthday message. just keep going. what an amazing _ birthday message. just keep going. what an amazing feeling _ birthday message. just keep going. what an amazing feeling you - birthday message. just keep going. what an amazing feeling you are i what an amazing feeling you are going _ what an amazing feeling you are going to — what an amazing feeling you are going to have when you can say you've — going to have when you can say you've claimed the globe. has your aussie heart-throb _ you've claimed the globe. has your aussie heart-throb been _ you've claimed the globe. has your aussie heart-throb been in - you've claimed the globe. has your aussie heart-throb been in touch i aussie heart—throb been in touch lately? aussie heart-throb been in touch latel ? ., �* , aussie heart-throb been in touch latel ? ., �*, ., lately? now, he's ghosted me, how rude is that? _ lately? now, he's ghosted me, how rude is that? that _ lately? now, he's ghosted me, how rude is that? that was _ lately? now, he's ghosted me, how rude is that? that was one - lately? now, he's ghosted me, how rude is that? that was one of - lately? now, he's ghosted me, how rude is that? that was one of the i rude is that? that was one of the most surreal moments of the whole race was up i still am the same person, i'm stilljust pip hare who grew up in east anglia and like sailing. and for that sort of interaction with an a—list celebrity is just something i interaction with an a—list celebrity isjust something i never imagined would happen and i don't think will happen again. you would happen and i don't think will happen again-— happen again. you gave escapism durin: a happen again. you gave escapism during a pretty — happen again. you gave escapism during a pretty dark— happen again. you gave escapism during a pretty dark time - happen again. you gave escapism during a pretty dark time for- happen again. you gave escapism| during a pretty dark time for quite a lot of people. has during a pretty dark time for quite a lot of peeple-— a lot of people. has that sunk in et? i a lot of people. has that sunk in yet? i don't _ a lot of people. has that sunk in yet? i don't think _ a lot of people. has that sunk in yet? | don't think it _ a lot of people. has that sunk in yet? i don't think it ever- a lot of people. has that sunk in yet? i don't think it ever will. i yet? i don't think it ever will. because i'm really pleased that i introduce the sport to more people. i think sailing is an incredibly diverse sport and sometimes it gets stuck with the stigma of being a leaders and it's not. there's a kind of sailing for everyone and being on the water is amazing and it is for everyone. the water is amazing and it is for eve one. , , the water is amazing and it is for everyone-— everyone. her new boat is now officially named. _ everyone. her new boat is now officially named. training - everyone. her new boat is now officially named. training is i officially named. training is already begun. pip hare is heading around the world again for another grueling adventure. all the very best of luck to her. a reminder of our top story — premier league and championship clubs will be able to offer standing areas at their grounds from 2022 as part of a pilot programme. it would mean an end to the ban on standing in the top two divisions which has been in place for more than 25 years. the football supporters association say there has been an outbreak of common sense. there is a fair bit of football tonight. we saw laura at the chelsea manager earlier, the league cups six more times this evening followed by the draw for next round. details on the bbc sport website but will have an update for you later. that's all from sportsday. we'll have more throughout the evening. hello. it's been a day of contrasting fortunes across the british isles, southern and eastern parts dry, fine and sunny for the most part. further north and west, nothing like it. a real absence of sunshine there in the western side of scotland. the reason for that, well, a weather front has crept its way in from the atlantic, and it's produced a wee bit of rain across northern and western parts of scotland. the cloud filtering its way through the day, down towards northern ireland, probably robbing the far north of england of sunshine as well. during the course of the evening and overnight, so, the remnants of that weather front drag the prospect of a little bit of rain into the north of england, north wales, eventually a real rattle of showers, if not longer spells of rain, getting in across central, northern and western parts of scotland — where it will be decidedly chilly, and that's because it will be very windy indeed. these are the gusts, and we are looking at gusts around about 65 mph through the shetland isles, and even further south, that gustiness just tending to keep the temperatures above single figures for most. so, the new day dawns with that low pressure pulling away towards scandinavia. the winds, as a consequence, beginning to ease. we bring in a new set of weather fronts back into western scotland with time during the course of the afternoon with bits of rain here. rather cloudy too down into the north of england, perhaps northern ireland. further south, with a bit of brightness, you could see 22—23 celsius. the old weather frontjust clouding things up for a time in the first part of the day across wales and the southwest of england, but even here, i think the sun will break out eventually for many. come friday, we have got another set of fronts close by to the north of scotland, another weak affair there. just thickening up the cloud and pushing a bit of rain into the western side of scotland, maybe northern ireland too. but it heralds the arrival of mild airs across all parts of the british isles. it comes at a price. the air coming in off the atlantic, moisture laden, so quite a bit of cloud, say, for the eastern side of scotland, and generally speaking, the further south and east you are, again, the brighter your skies will be, and the temperatures really responding to this, 22—23 celsius at the very best. and then on into the weekend, it is a similar sort of pattern, where we are looking away towards the south and southwest to bring up mild airs from way down towards the azores. not completely dry, not wall—to—wall sunshine, but for the end of september, not bad at all. hello, this is 0utside source. a pledge of vaccines to help other countries type coronavirus. irate countries type coronavirus. we should countries type coronavirus. - should unite around the world to a few principles. that we commit to donating, not selling, donating, not selling, doses to lower income countries. selling, doses to lower income countries-_ countries. but despite the president's _ countries. but despite the president's vaccine - countries. but despite the l president's vaccine pledge, campaigners say that most countries are still not getting enough. we will speak to the who official coordinating the fight against covid—19 in africa. more talks over the submarine deal that has left france succeeding on the sidelines. brycejohnson had beat waits france succeeding on the sidelines. bryce johnson had beat waits for