Metheringham Swimming Pool - Special Feature

Most of the children who attended Metheringham Primary school at any time during the last 20 years can thank the pool and the instructors for their ability to swim.  for the rest of us, its been available for public sessions, for private hire, and as a great and safe place to send children at weekends and during the summer holidays.

But like so many of our facilities, the pool only exists because of the tireless efforts of a diminishing group of volunteers who work on behalf of the rest of us.

Its no secret that the pool's financial future is far from secure.  we are all trying to get things onto a better footing with (hopefully) the additional help of the District and County Councils.  but there is also a desperate need for more volunteers to get involved in the day to day running of the pool - behind the scenes as well as out front.

What follows is a heartfelt plea from the Metheringham swimming Association.  Please read it and think positively about any help that you might be able to offer.  Not only for your own sake, but also for the sake of your children or grandchildren. 

Once again we approach the start of another swimming season in Metheringham.  over the years the swimming Pool committee have been able to offer a virtually free swimming facility to the school, although they themselves have to find the money to pay for swimming instruction, and the opportunity for local residents and their families to enjoy a facility that is rarely available in a village location.  however, this year will be slightly different.
the economic position of the pool is such that we will need more than a slice of good luck if we are to get through the season.  our finances are virtually non-existent, and we have recently lost the services of three long standing members, leaving us struggling to maintain the pool and its surroundings.
Over the years we have tried to encourage more people to come forward and volunteer their services in a variety of ways.  we have also tried to raise funds through organising social events, and asking all and sundry, local and otherwise, for donations towards the upkeep of the pool. what money we have acquired has gone into the day to day running of the pool.  we dare not think about the longer term, although there are issues regarding the updating and replacing of pool equipment which will soon have to be addressed.

Six or seven years ago, when many of the current committee volunteered their services, we had a reasonably healthy and motivated workforce, where we could identify individuals for specific roles, such as fundraising or gardening or general maintenance.  Unfortunately, as members have left, we have not seen the desired inflow of people willing to take their places, resulting in the current committee having a compliment of 10.  This leaves us barely able to carry out the routine running and maintenance of the pool, let alone able to consider fundraising and future developments.
of the ten current members, only three have children at metheringham Count Primary.  therefore seven members are still helping to provide a valuable facility to a school in which they have no direct interest.  their level of involvement is such that if opportunities were to arise for them at their own children's school, then they might well be forced to step down from their commitment to the pool in order to take up such opportunities.  at the very least they should be allowed to make their choice, and the reality is that some of us may well leave, even if there is nobody to take over.
Another fundamental reason for staying is that we would like to hand the pool over to the village in a healthier position than it now is, with some sort of vision for the future that is exciting and of course achievable.

There have been many reports over the past few months about the difficulties other pools in Lincolnshire are experiencing.  One tale of interest is that of Mablethorpe, where they don't have a swimming pool.  The primary school use the pool in Alford.  a local councillor recently raised concerns that out of the sixty current Year Six children, forty eight could not swim!  As you are aware, Metheringham also have access to the pool for the summer term only, but our pool is much nearer, and I am reliably informed that all of our Year sixes can swim. hat is a testament to what we have here, and for those of us involved in the pool it is a huge incentive for it to continue.
On a more positive note, we continue to have the support of the Metheringham Parish Council and our membership of MACLA has already paid dividends through their willingness to champion our cause.  the school has also appreciated our plight, and has tried to share this with parents through its recent communication regarding the sponsored walk, an event from which the 

pool will hopefully be one of the beneficiaries.
To summarise, the swimming pool urgently needs two things in order to continue to operate: financial support, and volunteers to come forward to swell the fast depleting ranks of the committee.  the general feeling is that if members of the public come forward, people who are motivated and committed to keeping our pool open for the foreseeable future, then we would be able to have the sub-committees for the fundraising and development, and then hopefully we would be able to raise our own capital.  Of course, offers of money or resources from anyone would be appreciated, but we must have some new faces on the committee, otherwise Metheringham will lose an important facility, and the school will no longer have easily accessible and low cost swimming.

Anyone interested in supporting us, please contact Alan Jones on 322558, or Ian Tumilty on 321365

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