Birtley swimming pool 'ready to reopen' under community ownership

Birtley Swimming Centre is ready to reopen after the facility was brought into community ownership.

Originally earmarked for permanent closure as part of cuts by Gateshead Council, the centre will welcome swimmers again from Monday 16 September.

The team secured £272,383 of funding from the Community Ownership Fund in August, after crowdfunding thousands of pounds within the community.

The funding has helped cover essentials such as replacing the boilers, installing lighting and refurbishing other facilities on-site.

It also included £50,000 worth of funding to cover the running costs between the team taking on the building in May and its full reopening.

Matthew Grant, treasurer of the Birtley Community Aquatic Centre (BCAC) group that has taken control of the site, said: “It is a huge achievement for us to have reached this point. We have had to raise over £400,000 to get all of the work done on the pool and that has come from a variety of sources, including a lot of support from the local community here.”

Lewis Herbertson, Senior Operations Manager said: "It's fantastic for the community. It's something that Birtley needs. Learning to swim is a life skill that all children need to learn.

"Not having the facilities to be able to do that and offer that children was something we needed to be able to get away from. That's why it's important we're able to do that, to offer that to local families.

"The backing that we've had to get it reopened is brilliant from the community. Everyone's really pulled in. We've had massive help from the average joe to small businesses and big businesses. It's been fantastic to have all that backing and it's got us to where we need to be.

"I'm itching to get the pool open now. We're at a position now where we're feeling comfortable. We just want to get everyone back in the pool as I'm sure the community's excited for it as well."

Ahead of the opening date, the pool-cleaning equipment has been tested, a deep clean has been carried out and lifeguard staff have been undergoing training.

The centre has also taken delivery of an 18m-long inflatable obstacle course and will be providing swimming lessons to the public.

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