Following the open evening held at Settle Area Swimming Pool, reported in the last issue of Community News, pool users and supporters have rallied round to help alleviate the financial crisis that at one time looked as though it could lead to the imminent closure of the pool.
The tremendous local support, alongside a number of other factors, means that the immediate crisis has been averted, though as pool chair Colin Coleman warned “we are by no means out of the wood yet. More needs to be done to raise funds, to keep costs under control and to ensure we make best use of all our facilities.”
There have been a number of significant developments over the past two months. Loans have been rescheduled. But as the trustees were told, this buys time rather solves the financial problems.
Income has been boosted by a £4000 grant from the Clapham-based Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, made in recognition of the pool’s role in supporting people who live in, visit and care for the Dales. There have also been a series of events held locally. The Settle Rotary Club made a donation following its popular Merry Go-Round dinner. The North Ribblesdale Rugby Club held a collection among spectators at a recent match and there was a retiring collection at a music event held at St Alkeda’s church in Giggleswick in memory of Settle resident Phil Smith.
A number of other events are planned and a new group, set up after the open evening, will be helping arrange these. Foremost will be a pool team’s participation in the Skipton Rotary Club Dragon Boat regatta to be held at Coniston Hall on May 12. A JustGiving page has been set up to support this and funds will specifically go towards the hire of gym equipment to help extend the range of activities provided in what is now described as ‘more than just a pool.’
One of the long-term aims of the trustees is to make the pool more energy efficient. A big boost for this came in the form of a £20,000 grant from Sport England to extend the number of solar panels on the pool roof. This was particularly welcome as one of big factors in the winter financial crisis was the lack of support from Sport England in an earlier round of grant to help pools in trouble. The pool has also taken up an offer from local business JD Mounsey to look at how the pool can cut its energy costs.
Significantly there has also been a big increase in the number of people using the pool recently. A full list of sessions in the pool and fitSpace area is to be found on the pool website https://www.settleswimmingpool.co.uk/
