VISITORS to Arrow Valley Country Park will now be able to take a ride in a swan pedalo.

The seven swan pedalos, Arrow, Odette, Beau, Bonham, Queenie, Aurora and Kevin, were named by members of the Redditch community.

They can be hired via a booking system on the Arrow Valley Lake website, where kayaks are also available from August to hire as part of the new water activities on offer.

The pedalos are being launched on Sunday, July 21.

Rubicon Leisure’s Managing Director, Ben Clawson-Chan, said: “As part of Rubicon Leisure’s mission to inspire our communities to lead healthier and happier lives, this exciting addition of swan pedalos to the range of activities on offer across Rubicon and at Arrow Valley will encourage people to come out, engage, and have fun and further extends the excellent offer at Arrow Valley Visitors Centre and Lake.”

Redditch Borough Council’s councillor Juliet Barker-Smith, who enjoyed a ride out in one of the swans, said, “In my teens, I spent a lot of the school holidays canoeing on Arrow Valley Lake, and now I can return to the water to enjoy our new swans. I am delighted that Redditch Borough Council are supporting Rubicon Leisure in bringing new opportunities for people to get out and enjoy our wonderful amenities, which are so important for supporting mental and physical health for people of all ages.”

Water-quality and safety checks have taken place to safeguard the wildlife in the area and mitigate any risk the pedalos may pose to their habitats and themselves.

As a result of this undertaking, Rubicon Leisure has removed three fishing pegs from the area but would like to reassure anglers that we still have plenty of pegs available around the lake for them to fish from.