The Birtley Community Aquatic Centre (BCAC) has launched a new crowdfunding campaign to raise the final £20,000 needed to renovate and open Birtley Community Pool. Gateshead Council closed Birtley Swimmming Centre in July 2023, and the newly established charity is set to reopen it in September 2024.
Matthew Grant, Treasurer of Trustees at BCAC, explained why it was necessary to raise the funds.
“We started this project in March 2023, initially as a small team of two, following the council’s announcement of the pool’s closure. We began by developing a business case to prove the pool’s financial viability, which was provisionally accepted by the council after a few months. We then expanded our team by reaching out to the community for individuals with the necessary skills, forming a group of trustees and a wider project team.”
Fundraising has been a significant focus, as nearly £400,000 is needed to reopen the pool, primarily to replace the old, inefficient boilers. Other expenses include resurfacing of the car park, repairing the water slide, buying new equipment for the pool and health and safety, and various other upgrades.
To date, BCAC has raised over £300,000 through various sources and the group have launched a second crowdfunding campaign to raise £20,000. Sport England has pledged £10,000, provided BCAC can match this amount through community contributions. This final piece of funding will secure the necessary match funding required by the Community Ownership Fund, enabling the team to achieve their goal of reopening in September.
The Trustees have appointed their first two members of staff, Amber Barry as Business Support Officer and Lewis Herbertson, as Senior Operations Manager.
Lewis said “Day-to-day, my plan is to get the pool to operational standards, aiming to reopen by early September. My background is in the leisure industry, including managing the pool at the Royal Grammar School in Jesmond, which has prepared me well for this role. I’m excited to bring my love for swimming and lifesaving to this community project,”
BCAC aims to open the pool on September 2, initially as a trail for club use and training sessions. Public swimming activities, such as family swimming, lanes and Aquafit, will commence the following week. Starting in mid-September, BCAC will extend their offer to include swimming lessons for local schools and the public, in collaboration with a high-quality swim school provider, Swim City.
“People can also support us through monetary donations on our crowdfunding page. Additionally, we offer rewards, which are goods or services donated by supporters and local businesses, available for purchase at significantly discounted prices. These rewards provide excellent value for money and support our cause. We are all committed to opening in early September and the public show of support we’ve already experienced is much appreciated. I’d like to thank everyone who has or will donate to help us,” Matthew added.
The crowdfunding links is https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-us-open-birtley-community-pool-in-september24