Hagbourne Pool Save it now.

There has been a swimming pool at Hagbourne School for over 50 years. The original pool was opened in June 1971 – a small outside pool which served the school until 1982 when the existing pool was dug out, on the same site. In the early 1980s the pool was enhanced with a polythene dome which was subsequently replaced in 2008 with the existing polycarbonate dome. New, modern Changing Rooms were added in 2012.

Swimming has been an integral part of school life for generations of local children and post pandemic, its importance has grown. Sadly, over the lockdown, what was originally a small leak has grown into a major issue which now has to be addressed. The problem will require excavation of one side of the pool to expose the piping where the problem lies and fix it. We are confronted by a potential bill of some £5000 to get the pool up and running again. The school has indicated that it does not have the finance to fund such a project and so it is down to the Hagbourne Pool Committee (HPC) to organise funding before the project can commence.

We are appealing to everyone who learnt to swim at Hagbourne or who has every enjoyed a swim here to come forward and help us out. Parents have already offered support with the excavation of the pipes, but we need the finance to be able to make a start on the project as soon as possible.

We would like the children to be able to swim before school finishes in July, and also have some plans to offer lots of opportunities for Hagbourne children to catch up on the swimming sessions they missed during the pandemic, over the summer holidays, thanks to a team of volunteers.

Hagbourne Pool is not just used for swimming lessons. Community groups such as Brownies, Guides, Scouts, Beavers and local junior football teams make regular use of it as do local Swim Schools. Local primary and secondary schools hire it for afterschool clubs for teaching swimming, water survival skills and lifesaving.

It has been used for teaching SCUBA diving to children as well as adults and for Lifesaving Training.

Zorbing was one of the more unusual activities it has been used for. Hagbourne School incorporates the use of the pool into varied parts of the curriculum.  Some years ago it became the ‘lake’ during “Iron Age Day” when a friend of the school brought along a coracle for the children to try out in the water. It has even been used in French Classes to launch paper boats whilst singing traditional French songs.

In normal times, Hagbourne School prides itself that most of our pupils can swim a length of the pool (12m) by the time they are 7 years old..

It is estimated that well over 1000 children have leant to swim at Hagbourne over the years and if every one of those could donate just £5 to the fund, we would reach our target!