Community pool saved after £178,000 council boost
BBCA community-run swimming pool in Lincolnshire has been given a lifeline thanks to a council donation of almost £178,000.
North Lincolnshire Council invested in Epworth Swimming Pool so its changing room, entrance and viewing areas could be refurbished. Work was expected to start in November, the council said.
The funding comes after South Axholme Community Swimming Pool Association, which operates the pool, appealed for help last year amid rising costs.
Manager and trustee Rob Jenkins said: "We're confident this major refurbishment will give residents many more years of swimming here locally."
More than 300 children take part in swimming lessons and club sessions every week at the pool on Burnham Road, which opened in 1996.
Last year, Jenkins said the charity had introduced cost-saving measures like installing solar panels and using a ground-source heat pump to power the pool as the unit cost of electricity had increased by 52%.
He also said staffing costs for the site's 18 employees had risen.
After the charity's plea for more members or funds, the council invested £177,907 to keep the pool running.
Jenkins said: "There are many places in the country that do not have access to pools like this in rural towns and villages - this investment will help us keep this one here."
Council leader Rob Waltham added: "The people who have kept the pool running for almost 30 years have shown enormous commitment.
"We are backing them so it can continue serving Epworth and the wider Isle of Axholme for years to come."
Councillor Tim Mitchell, cabinet member for finance and efficiency, said: "This is exactly the kind of investment that matters: protecting a valued local facility, supporting the people who have worked hard to sustain it and ensuring it remains available for future generations."
Listen to highlights fromLincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch thelatest episode of Look North.
Download the BBC News app from the App Storefor iPhone and iPad orGoogle Play for Android devices
