Govanhill Baths New Health & Wellbeing Centre

Govanhill is Scotland’s most diverse community, welcoming immigrants for over 100 years. But it is also one of the most deprived areas in Scotland.  Our mission is to support the community through the redevelopment of Govanhill Baths – one of Glasgow’s last Edwardian Bathhouses – as a new Health and Wellbeing Centre and return them to the heart of community life in Govanhill.

We have almost reached the £6.4 million we need to achieve this and have just £300K left to raise. With your help we can do this if we all pool together!

But this is more than just about a building; it’s about developing community capacity and pride.

Making A Big Splash

The closure of Govanhill Baths in 2001 had a direct impact on the wellbeing of the community. More than two thirds of local people state they no longer swim and physical exercise has significantly declined.

Re-opening Govanhill Baths is a vital step in regenerating Govanhill.  We know this because we consulted with the community. We engaged directly with almost 1,500 people - around 15% of the local population – and what they told us inspired our plans to help them:

• Learn new skills.
• Connect through activities at the Baths.
• Gain work experience and become more employable.
• Access wellbeing, exercise, and community activities.
• Be engaged through accessible and inclusive activities.
• Be healthier and happier, connecting health and wellbeing to exercise, diet, social and mental health.
• Care for the environment.
• Feel connected to a shared local heritage and sense of belonging.

Sink or Swim

For almost two decades the community of Govanhill has fought with determination to save the historic baths on Calder Street. In the centenary year of their first opening, we’re in the last length of the struggle to reopen the Baths.

When Glasgow City Council announced their closure the community immediately took action; a petition of 30,000 signatures was completed within a fortnight. The commitment of local people to save Govanhill Baths then led to the longest continuous occupation of a civic building in British history, which succeeded in saving the building from demolition. In 2004 Govanhill Baths Community Trust was established. In 2012 we succeeded in getting the Baths’ building back in to partial use and in 2013 secured a long-term lease from Glasgow City Council to operate the building.

Since then we have had almost 100,000 visitors and so built a strong case to complete major redevelopment of the building. We have a great track record of delivering high quality services to the community, as detailed in our Share Offer document below.

Diving In

• What Are Community Shares
  

  Community Shares (also called ‘withdrawable shares’) are ideally suited to community-focused organisations. Unlike shares in a typical company they cannot be sold, traded or transferred but can be withdrawn after a set period of time (subject to society rules).

• How Community Shares Will Help Us
  Community Shares will demonstrate to funders that local people want Govanhill Baths to re-open. They also bring the people who will benefit from the building into the heart of income generation. Share offers have been shown to lead to stronger businesses for this very reason.
  
  
• Who Can Buy Shares
  

  Anyone over the age of 16 can buy shares, along with companies, organisations or small groups of people who pool together. Shares can also be bought as a gift. You can hold any value of shares between £100 and the maximum shareholding of £30,000.

• Tax Breaks and Interest
  We are offering investors interest at 3% and tax reliefs that will enable UK income taxpayers to reclaim some of what they have invested back in their tax return. The first of these is available to the first £150,000 of investment by individuals, who will be able to claim 50% of what they have invested. Further tax breaks for the remainder of the investment will be worth 30% to investors. Please check back here for future updates and see our Share Offer document for further details.
  
  
• Shareholders' Rights
  In addition to all the benefits listed, all shareholders, no matter how much they invest, will have an equal say in the governance of the Baths through voting at the Annual Members’ Meeting and the ability to put forward items for discussion, as well as being consulted on important issues.

Making Waves

We’ll be transforming Govanhill Baths into a facility we can truly use. The entire building will be saved, much of it renovated and modernised for the 21st century, and re-opened to the public at last.

This phase of the project will see the conservation and refurbishment of the external envelope of the building, and internal repair to structural roof of the Main Pool.

We will create a range flexible spaces and meeting rooms, re-open the Ladies’ Pool and Learners’ Pool and create a Turkish Suite. We will also renovate the Steamie as a multi-purpose arts space and venue, create a café, and state-of-the-art Gymnasium.

This will allow us to deliver a diverse range of activities and services that will improve the health, social, cultural, educational, environmental and employment-related outcomes for the community.

For more details please see our Share Offer and Business Plan below. You can also get in touch with us by emailing [email protected] or telephone 0141 433 2999.

We hope you'll dive in with us and help complete the journey of our beloved Edwardian Bath and Washhouse to true community-ownership, where the people who care about Govanhill Baths the most, will own and protect them.

Thank you very much - United we will swim!

The Community Shares Standard Mark is awarded by the Community Shares Unit to offers that meet national standards of good practice.
For more information about community shares, the Community Shares Standard Mark and the Community Shares Unit go to: communityshares.org.uk

Documents

The Business Plan below is not the final version of this document. Please contact us at [email protected] to be informed when it is available.