Friends of Southwell Swimming Pool (FOSS) are a community group, including members of Southwell Swimming Club, whose aim is to reopen Southwell Swimming Pool which was closed in October 2023.
FOSS want all interested parties to work together to reopen Southwell Swimming pool as soon as possible and to ensure that it will be enjoyed by future generations for many years to come.
We are urging Newark & Sherwood District Council & Southwell Leisure Centre Trustees to fully explore all potential solutions.
Repairing the current pool will quickly restore the pool and revenue from it, minimising the detriment to users in the Southwell district, as well as paying for itself in a year.
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Communications
What we have done so far
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Engaged with
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Newark & Sherwood Council
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Southwell Leisure Centre Trustees
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and Southwell Town Council
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Carried out an Impact Survey on swimmers who had used the closed pool
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Set up a petition and had it presented to N&SDC
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Researched options to make sure that the pool reopens
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Identified Good Practice for Public Swimming Pools
Support Our Pool
A Community Initiative
Friends of Southwell Swimming Pool (FOSS) is a community-driven initiative dedicated to reopening our local swimming pool in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, as soon as feasibly possible and to ensure that it is available for many generations to come. We are a totally independent group of concerned residents and we have no political affiliation, and we are not working for Southwell Leisure Centre Trustees, Newark & Sherwood District Council, or Southwell Town Council.
Where have all the swimmers gone?
Closing Southwell Swimming Pool has had a major impact on Southwell Swimming Club, local schools, and the 300 daily pool users. We have carried out a survey to find out the impact of closure and 2,370 people signed the petition that we have presented to Newark & Sherwood District Council.
Half not swimming
Our impact survey found that half the pool users, who were previously swimming regularly at Southwell, are no longer swimming and hadn't found a suitable alternative. Reasons include lack of transport, unsuitable times of sessions, the cost to travel, no room in classes at centres and there was no point because the social aspect had been lost with groups scattered.
Southwell Swimming Club and schools
Southwell Swimming Club has moved to Calverton because the timeslot offered at Newark was inappropriate but Calverton pool is not suitable for competitive training.
Local schools are paying for coaches to take the children to Calverton for swimming lessons.
2,370 petitioners support a repair alongside a rebuild
We are calling on NSDC to fulfil their obligation to repair Southwell Swimming Pool under the terms of the lease with the town. We call on them to repair our pool alongside developing their plans for the leisure centre rebuild, rather than instead of, so that our access to a local pool is restored within the year. This means NSDC can take the time to work with local stakeholders and properly consult, plan and finance the rebuild, ensuring the final proposal and design offer a fit for purpose leisure centre to serve Southwell for another 60 years.