Holywell Mead Pool

TELEVISION celebrity Fern Britton has sent a message of support to campaigners fighting to save High Wycombe’s Holywell Mead Swimming Pool from long-term closure.

Mother-of-four Fern, who lives near High Wycombe told campaigners: “The young people of High Wycombe need as much healthy outdoor activity as possible. To close down such a unique pool would be very short-sighted of our generally good council.”

The Trust Steering Group put together a Business Plan which it hoped would safeguard the long-term future of the pool and presented it to the council’s cabinet but the council dismissed the plan.

Neil Bailey, chair of the Holywell Mead Pool Trust Steering Group said: It’s great to have such a high profile local personality offering words of support. The health of young people and having such facilities available is essential. Once they have gone they have disappeared forever and we must not let this happen.”

Following the council’s rejection of the Business Plan, the group have offered to become Friends of Holywell Mead Pool. Committee members have offered the council their time and expertise to generate awareness with a marketing campaign, fundraise, help maintain the building and use their substantial database of local people wishing to assist with re-opening the pool.

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Neil Bailey, Chair of our Holywell Mead Pool Trust Steering Group, led the presentation of our outline plan to Wycombe District Council on the 11^th June. Our plan focuses on creating an all-year facility, creating a destination for families and the provision of swimming lessons for local youngsters in the area.

Phase one of our plan includes upgrading the current paddling pool and turning it into a teaching pool, upgrading the changing rooms and adding a child-friendly aquatic play area.

Upgrading the facility would create business and revenue generation opportunities which would ensure the venue became self-funding.

Mr Bailey said: “The meeting was very positive and we thank the Cabinet for giving us time to present our outline Business Plan. The Cabinet members and officers had a lot of questions about our proposals and have requested a more detailed financial plan that we are now working on. We are confident we can provide a robust and realistic proposal.

“In the meantime, we now need the community to express their level of support for our proposal and to give us their views on how they would like to see the facility progress, what sort of charges they would be willing to pay to use the pool and if they would consider a membership scheme. We are not asking for money, but we need the community to give us an indication of the level of support they are willing to make to keep this vital facility open.”

Our group has been very busy over the last few months preparing our business plan for review by the council. We have spent a lot of time meeting with potential partners, local schools and opinion leaders, visiting other successful outdoor pools and the people who run them, meeting with local businesses and identifying other potential sources of funding for our pool. A summary of our plan can be seen by clicking on the Business Plan Summary link of the left hand side of this page.

A big thank you to all those people who have helped and advised us by very kindly contributing your own time and passion into helping us bring this plan together. Watch this space!  

We are a group of local residents and business professionals that have ambitious plans to ensure our outdoor pool has a viable future. Please register your support today by clicking on the SOS button on the right hand side of this page. Adding your message of support will add weight to our campaign and give our group the support we need to ensure that we keep this unique facility open.

I was dismayed to learn from the Lidos History Society that Holywell Mead swimming pool has been closed. As the current chairman of Hampton open air pool, it is distressing to see another open air pool is closing while Hampton Pool is actually increasing its attendance each year. 

Hampton Pool is a clear example of how open air pools can work. Closed in 1981 by Richmond Council it was reopened by the Hampton Pool Trust in 1985 as a heated open air pool.  It is now open 365 days per year with over 130,000 attendances.  It will launch its 25th Season this Spring Bank Holiday.   

Hampton Pool Ltd – now the Hampton Pool Trust –a “not for profit charity” was set up in 1983/4 by a group of local residents– passionate about the pool. It is this passion for the pool that has kept the pool operating for the last 24 years. 

The business has been growing over the years and, since the refurbishment, the business has grown and diversified. The pool is no longer a summer season cold water open air pool, but a 365 day per year operation with heated water, a gym, a fitness centre for Pilates and Yoga and Spinning, a pool shop and successful café. 

Longer opening hours has encouraged use through-out the day from 06:00-21:00. The swimming lesson program has been developed and is now a major source of income and attracts visitors even on wet or cold days in both the summer and winter. On Christmas day we open from  8am to midday, swim numbers have risen from 700 in 2003 to nearly 1500 Christmas 2008! We have even been able to provide limited access for free swimming for the over 60s in the latest government initiative. 

At 10am this morning I counted 29 people swimming in the main pool, there were 6 “mother and toddlers” having swimming lessons, 2 people having adult swimming lessons, there was a circuit class with 17 people in the gym and 10 people doing yoga in the fitness studio. 8 people were  enjoying a hearty breakfast in the sun on the roof café. 

With enthusiasm and passion, plus some investment and smart management, open air pools do have a future. I wish you all good luck in your efforts to re-open this vital local asset. 

Grahame Hadden 
Chairman
Hampton Pool Trust