Funding helps a rural pool keep swimming close to home

For more than 300 children each week, Epworth’s community swimming pool means lessons and club sessions close to home. A £177,907 council investment is helping the charity-run Lincolnshire facility keep serving them.

The pool’s operators appealed for support after rising electricity and staffing costs put pressure on its finances. They had already installed solar panels and a ground-source heat pump as part of efforts to control bills.

North Lincolnshire Council’s funding will support refurbishment of the changing rooms, entrance and viewing areas. Work is expected to begin in November, so the improvements are still ahead.

The pool’s programme shows why its future matters beyond children’s lessons. It also offers sessions for under-fives, adult exercise classes and swimming for older people, giving different generations a local place to get into the water.

The investment does not remove the challenge of paying everyday running costs.

It does give the people sustaining this rural pool some breathing space. For families around Epworth and the Isle of Axholme, that helps keep a useful part of weekly life within reach.

Sources

• BBC — investment, weekly use and financial pressures
• Epworth Swimming Pool — classes and local services