Birtley Community Pool reopened in September as a community run charity, after it was closed for over a year by Gateshead Council. Over £400,000 was raised by a combination of local support, through two Crowdfunding campaigns and other local donations, and funding from several large organisations including the Community Ownership Fund, The Royal Foundation and the Sport England.
The Royal Foundation is Prince William’s charity, and he visited the pool on October 3rd along with several Olympic swimmers to celebrate the reopening of the pool.
The trustees and staff who run the pool have created a warm and welcoming, family friendly place which offers a range of activities for all ages and abilities. The pools are kept warmer than average: 29°C for the main and improver pools, and 31°C for the small pool, which is real tonic during those long, cold, winter months. The new LED lighting has created a lighter, brighter environment in the pool area for both swimmers and spectators.
How does swimming help your health and wellbeing?
Swimming is a vital life skill which improves cardio-vascular health, burns lots of calories, and supports mental wellbeing. It’s especially beneficial for older adults, pregnant women, those with disabilities, and people recovering from injuries.
Swimming is also an opportunity to socialise and meet new people during a family fun session, or when participating in an aquafit session, or just when swimming with others in a public session
Yvonne Probert, chair of the Trustees Board for Birtley Community Pool, said “the benefits of swimming are significant and wide ranging and we want to encourage more of the Birtley Community to experience those benefits by participating in activities at the pool”
Activities available at Birtley Community Pool
Whether you’re looking just to swim a few lengths, improve your fitness and swimming technique, or simply have fun with your family, Birtley Community pool has something for everyone and is open seven days a week
Fast, medium and slow lanes are available throughout the week for those who swim for fitness, whilst the rest of the main pool and the small pool are available for families or those who like to swim at a more leisurely pace.
Four Aquafit sessions and an Aqua Intro session provide a different way to exercise, which are delivered by three qualified instructors.
On a Friday evening, and Saturday and Sunday afternoons there are family fun sessions including a giant inflatable obstacle course and a water slide, which are very popular and you don’t need to be booked in advance, just come along.
Swimming lessons are provided daily by Swim City, an award-winning swim school, including lessons for parents and babies, pre-school children and adults, as well as children of school age. A soft play is also available in our community room for younger children and parents to use whilst at the pool.
Prices for the different activities are competitive and affordable, and a monthly membership option is available for those who want to swim regularly at the pool.
Public swimming starts at 07:30 on Mondays and Fridays, at 07:15 on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursday and at 07:00 at weekends. In January 2025, the pool will be opening from 06:15 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, providing a better opportunity for people to swim before work.
Details about the activities, prices and the pool timetable are all available on the website which is www.birtleycommunitypool.org.uk.
Matthew Grant, treasurer of Birtley Community Pool Trustees, said “Our regular customers are enjoying these activities and giving us great feedback. If you haven’t yet visited us, please come to the pool, give one of our activities a try and support your local community asset at the same time”
