£75,000 campaign to keep baths afloat
A MAJOR fundraising campaign to keep a historic Edwardian swimming baths afloat has been launched.
The Moseley Road Baths Action Group is set to take over the Moseley Road Baths from Birmingham City Council from April and needs £75,000 to train staff.
The future of the 1907 grade II-listed pool in Balsall Heath has been in doubt for many years, with the council unable to meet the high maintenance and running costs.
It was originally due to be closed when the new Sparkhill Pool opened.
But the Action Group, with the support of Historic England, the National Trust and World Monuments Fund, came up with a rescue plan.
As well as keeping the existing second pool operating, the group hopes to raise the funds to fix and re-open other parts of the building, including its Gala Pool, which closed in 2003.
Group chairman Karen Leach said: “The support from local people has been amazing. Our business plan shows that a community-run pool will be able to keep itself afloat but like many businesses we just need some seed funding to get going. So we are now asking our friends and supporters locally, across the city and further afield to donate whatever they can to save this much-loved community and heritage asset.”
The city council last month agreed to keep the pool open until April 2018 to allow the group time to secure funding and put the business plan in place. They need to ensure they can cover the basic running costs of the building while seeking the estimated £23 million to fully restore the building to its former glory.