‘Can you keep pool open?’
A VALLEYS community fears its last remaining social facility, the Lee Gardens pool, could be lost forever and is now desperate to keep it up and running.
A VALLEYS community fears its last remaining social facility could be lost forever and is now desperate to keep it alive.
The Lee Gardens pool in Penrhiwceiber, which only reopened last year, will remain permanently closed unless the group running it can find significant funding to pay trained officials to work there.
The 1950s Cynon Valley outdoor swimming pool closed in 2014 as part of local authority cuts, but was reopened last summer, and also operated this summer. But the pool, led by a committee group set up in 2015, closed earlier than expected this year, and now they must find trained staff as well as new equipment for the pool.
That’s because new guidelines mean four lifeguards are needed, which they say would cost thousands, and so have applied for the One Family Community Award, which offers sums of £5,000, £10,000 and £25,000 to popular projects.
Diane Locke, secretary of the committee group, said: “A former mining village, Penrhiwceiber lacks facilities. There is no cafe or public toilet, no youth club and no library.
“The children’s soft play area has recently closed. This project has given people hope that they are not the forgotten of the valley.
“Our project is not just about opening the pool for children in the summer. It provides volunteering opportunities for the whole community all year round. It’s also a drop-in point for people just wanting a cuppa and a chat, and it involves everyone. There’s nothing else like this in the village.”
She said the group would fund the lifeguards themselves, but it is simply too much for them to afford.
“We are a small community group. We do not have that kind of money. If we were to win then it would not just pay them their wages, it would enable us to buy things like a defibrillator and others.
“It’s a big opportunity that we do not want to miss.”
Diane said they are hoping to reopen in summer 2018 after interest and attendance at the pool both last and this year was “excellent”.
“People came from all the neighbouring villages including Cwmbach, Abercynon and even Pontypridd and Fernhill.
“One family came practically every day and even brought us some cake at the end because they enjoyed it that much.
“Poverty, unemployment and ill-health are high in the village so this facility is extremely important.”
She also thanked GE Aviation, who sent 92 volunteers to work on the picnic area, and have donated £5,000 to the project.
It comes as the future of another pool, Abercynon War Memorial Paddling pool, is also under threat for similar reasons.
Awards are given out by way of public vote, and voting for the Penrhiwceiber facility is open until noon on Wednesday.