Who are we?
The Carnforth Community Swimming Pool (CCSP) plays a vital role in the community by promoting the physical and mental health benefits of swimming for individuals of all ages, as well as having twenty two primary schools taking swimming & water safety lessons and some special sessions are linked to NHS referrals. There are parent-child and bookable family swims as well as exclusive bookings from groups such as Scouts, Scuba Divers, Hockey teams, Kayaking enthusiasts and the Partially sighted. Priority is given to severely disabled children and people with special needs.
Why a building extension?
The Pool business is thriving. However, safeguarding requirements mandate that school groups and the public do not share the same space. As a result, individuals often had to wait outside, quite often enduring cold and wet conditions, before they could enter the pool area. Moreover, members of the public were unable to socialise before or after their exercise sessions. By constructing a small cafe/viewing area, we are able to provide a designated space for people to wait and socialise between sessionssuch as folded inflatables used for pool parties, metal steps to assist individuals with mobility issues, and wet staff & children’s belongings. There is no room for staff lockers, or a space to dry staff and loaned items, resulting in staff using the existing disabled toilet for storage purposes. By establishing a storage area by the poolside, we ensure a more hygienic and aesthetically pleasing environment for drying and storing these items.
CCSP is an approved training centre with the Royal Life Saving Society. Constructing a dry training and sitting area on the upper floor enables us to expand the range of training programmes offered to all.
We are a non-for-profit organisation, so who pays for the extension?
We applied and obtained several grants to build a two-storey extension, designed to include two additional toilets & storage facilities on the ground floor, as well as a cafe with a viewing/training area on the first floor. The extension includes a platform lift to ensure accessibility.
Building started in October 2023 and is ongoing. Unfortunately, as often happens, the costs of the building works have increased due to unforeseen circumstances (unsuitable foundations, uncharted pipes & cables, increased lift costs). Also, the income margins for 2023 were reduced due to increased energy bills. Therefore, we seek additional funding to cover the extra costs.