Keep Riversdale Swimming

Aim

Help keep Riversdale's swimming pool open so every child can learn to swim in a safe, welcoming environment

Every pound you donate helps unlock Sport England match funding, doubling the impact of your support. 

Who We Are 

Riversdale Primary School is a vibrant, inclusive primary school at the heart of South West London. We are proud to provide a nurturing environment where every child is encouraged to thrive, regardless of their background or ability.

One of Riversdale's most special features is our on-site swimming pool. It gives every child the opportunity to learn one of life's most important skills in a familiar and supportive setting. For many of our pupils, particularly those in our specialist BASE provision, swimming is about far more than physical activity. It builds confidence, independence, wellbeing and enjoyment in a calm environment they know and trust.

Our pool is also a valued community facility, welcoming local swimming clubs, families and community groups outside school hours. It is a resource that benefits far more than just our pupils.

Why we're crowdfunding

Our swimming pool needs urgent restoration to remain safe and open.

The paint and plaster on the pool ceiling has deteriorated over time and now needs replacing. Without these essential repairs, there is a real risk that the pool could eventually have to close.

Closing the pool would have a huge impact. Hundreds of children would lose the opportunity to learn to swim at school, our pupils in the BASE would lose an important part of their learning environment, and our wider community would lose a much-loved local facility.

The good news is that we have secured a fantastic commitment from Sport England and The National Lottery who have agreed to contribute £4,975 towards the project through the Movement Fund.

To unlock this funding, we now need to raise the remaining £4,975 through our Crowdfunder campaign + fees. 

Every donation, no matter how large or small, brings us one step closer to protecting swimming opportunities for current and future generations of Riversdale and community children. 

How we’ll spend the money raised

The total cost of restoring the swimming pool ceiling is £9,950. 

The money raised through this campaign will fund the essential restoration works needed to make the ceiling safe and ensure the pool remains open for years to come.

Project Budget

• Swimming pool ceiling restoration works – £9,950
• Community fundraising target – £4,975
• Sport England Movement Fund contribution once we meet our community target – £4,975
• Additional platform fees have been calculated to create our overall target of £10,100. 

This is a one-off investment that will protect one of Riversdale's greatest assets and ensure hundreds of children continue to benefit from swimming every year.

Why does it cost £9,950?

We completely understand that £9,950 may sound like a lot for restoring a ceiling, so we wanted to explain why.

This isn't a standard decorating job. Riversdale's swimming pool is housed within a Victorian building with exceptionally high ceilings, making access both challenging and highly specialised. The work requires professional contractors experienced in working within swimming pool environments, together with extensive scaffolding to safely reach the ceiling while protecting the pool below.

To ensure best value, the school obtained three competitive quotations before selecting the contractor offering the most appropriate combination of cost, experience and quality. This approach also meets Sport England's funding requirements for projects of this value.

Community impact

Swimming is a skill for life.

Every child deserves the chance to learn how to swim safely and confidently, regardless of their background. By protecting Riversdale's pool, we're helping children develop a skill that could one day save their life.

The impact goes much further than swimming lessons.

Our pool supports pupils' physical and mental wellbeing, builds confidence, provides inclusive opportunities for children with additional needs, and creates memorable experiences throughout their primary school years.

Outside school hours, the pool continues to benefit the wider community through local swimming sessions and community hire, ensuring this investment has an impact well beyond the school gates.

By supporting this campaign, you're investing in children's health, confidence and wellbeing today - and for many years to come.

How you can play your part

We're asking our whole Riversdale community - and beyond - to help protect this fantastic facility.

There are four simple ways you can support us:

1. Make a donation

Every contribution, whatever the size, helps us unlock Sport England's funding and brings us closer to our goal.

2. Share our campaign

Please share this page with family, friends, neighbours and colleagues. Every share helps us reach more people who might like to support local children.

3. Donate a reward

If you're a local business, we'd love to hear from you. Donating a prize or experience for our supporters is a fantastic way to support the campaign while promoting your business.

4. Fundraise for Riversdale

Whether it's a sponsored swim, bake sale, fun run or community event, we'd love your help. Every fundraiser helps us get closer to keeping our pool open.

Together, we can ensure that countless children continue to enjoy the opportunity to learn this essential life skill. Thank you for helping us keep Riversdale swimming!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 31st August 2026 at 1:46pm