Rye Town Council has facilitated a working group of local experts and user groups to consider how best to re-open Rye’s swimming pool. After lengthy conversations with senior officers at Rother District Council and Freedom Leisure, the chief executive of the latter, Ivan Horsfall Turner, has agreed that if a community group can be set up to operate the pool they will relinquish their lease early and hand over the running of the whole centre to the community group.
At the second meeting of the working group, members unanimously accepted a generous offer from a community interest charity to fund two part-time, short-term project managers, a thorough building condition survey and an energy audit. It would be impossible to get all the information required to assess the viability of taking over the centre by way of a volunteer working group alone, so it makes sense to task this out. The joint project managers are Dan Lynn, former sports centre senior manager, and Rebekah Gilbert. Between them they are researching, building a business plan, talking with other community pools and liaising between all the interested parties.
What makes this so complicated is that the centre sits on land owned by East Sussex County Council, leased to Rother District Council, operated by Freedom Leisure and with a joint user agreement with Rye College. With so many interested parties and stakeholders involved, it takes a lot of good communication and facilitation, which of course takes time.
It is hoped that the conditions survey and energy audit can be done next month, with reports in June / early July. Although ESCC carries out a triennial survey of the building, it does not include the condition of the pool or consider alternative heating sources, which the privately funded one will.
Before a community social enterprise can take on the running of the centre, it has to know the risks and liabilities it is considering taking on, how much they will cost, and whether funding may be available to do so. The repairs and improvements needed for the pool are a major consideration and will run into serious amounts of money.
Once we know how big a pool we are diving into in terms or risk – whether it is up to our waist, neck, or drowning, we will know how realistic a community social enterprise is. We are working with community partners and stakeholders – and taking legal, financial and funding advice.
Image Credits: Freedom Leisure .
I really do hope the pool reopens I for one would be a regular user. I have held back reclaiming my outstanding membership in the hope that this happens. I know the building was a little tired but never saw any H & S issues, fingers crossed!
We need our leisure centre and specialty our pool opened again for all, including children, adults and the disabled. Please support this valuable asset for us all. Thank you. Marie Hanley
A big thank you to all those involved so far and in the future to try and restore the swimming pool which is such a valuable asset in so many ways to Rye and the surrounding area.
Rye Pool was a great help to my physical and mental health. I hope this succeeds. I would be prepared to contribute to e.g.crowd funding if such is feasible.