September 2026 Newsletter
Issue 27
Full Newsletter
September at Birtley Community Pool
September marks an important milestone for Birtley Community Pool as we celebrate two years since reopening. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported us, visited regularly, recommended us to friends and family, and helped make the pool such an important part of our community.
This month, we’re sharing an update on prices from 7th September, some changes to our timetable, and an important reminder about registering your vehicle for parking when you visit.
Two Years of Birtley Community Pool
On September 16th 2026, we’ll be celebrating the end of our second year of running Birtley Community Pool. We’re delighted that so many people from Birtley and the surrounding areas regularly visit us to enjoy swimming, Aquafit, inflatables, the waterslide, swimming lessons and our other activities.
Keeping the pool financially sustainable has always been a significant challenge. This was the main reason Gateshead Council closed the pool in July 2023, after making annual losses averaging about £400,000 for many years at Birtley Pool.
When we reopened in September 2024, our first six months of trading resulted in an operating loss of £69,000. We knew we had a lot of work to do to put the pool on a sustainable financial footing. We’re pleased to say that we have made significant progress.
During our second year of trading, to the end of March 2026, our trading loss reduced to £19,100 over the full 12 months, compared with £69,000 in just over six months during our first year. This improvement has mainly come from more customers using the pool, increased membership, and careful management of our costs.
Membership income has increased by 85%, while income from adult, child and family swimming has also grown. We have also made savings in areas including chemicals, gas, materials and equipment, and repairs and maintenance. We hope to not be making a loss by March 2027. Thank you to everyone who has helped us get to this point. More details can be found on our News & Updates page on our website. Your continued support, recommendations and positive reviews make a real difference.
Become a Trustee
We’re looking for new Trustees to join the charity board — especially individuals with experience in community engagement, volunteer management and / or marketing. If you’re passionate about community projects and want to help shape the future of Birtley Community Pool, we’d love to hear from you!
Volunteers Needed
Whether you have a few spare hours or can commit to a couple of hours a week, your support will help us continue providing excellent services to the community.
We are currently recruiting for the following volunteer roles:
- Practical Tasks Volunteers
- Administration & Reception Volunteers
- Fundraising & Income Generation Volunteers
If you’d like to get involved, please email us at info@birtleycommunitypool.org.uk
Your time and effort will be invaluable in supporting the pool’s success!
Parking Eye Reminder
If you’re parking at Birtley Community Pool, please remember to enter your vehicle registration number on the tablets in reception whenever you visit.
How to register your vehicle on the tablets:
- Select “Visitor – 4 hours”.
- Select “Agree and proceed”.
- Enter your vehicle registration number and select “Next”.
- Check that your registration number has been entered correctly.
- Select “Confirm” if it is correct, or “Back” to make a correction.
- Wait until the screen says “Thank you, your vehicle has been registered.”
Please take particular care when entering your registration number. It’s easy to miss a letter or number, or accidentally enter some of them the wrong way around.
Remember to use the correct numbers and letters, for example, use the number 0 where appropriate rather than the letter O, or vice versa.
If you are unsure whether you entered it correctly, please enter it again.
And if you’ve changed your car or are visiting in a different vehicle, such as a courtesy car, remember to register the correct registration number.
Forgot to register when you arrived? Don’t worry, you can enter your registration number at any time before you leave the pool.
Please contact us either at reception in person, by phone on 0191 432 9444, or by email info@birtleycommunitypool.org.uk
Received a parking fine notice?
Please provide:
- Your name and contact details
- The registration number of the vehicle shown in the photograph
- The date and time shown on the parking fine letter
We will help you to get the parking fine reduced to £20, and in some cases we may be able to assist to get the fine cancelled, though cancellation is decided by Parking Eye.
Price Changes from 7th September
New prices from 7th September
Swimming
- Adult – £5.80
- Discounted adult (weekdays
12pm–4pm, term time) – £4.20
- Junior (ages 4–15) – £3.50
- Infant (ages 0–3) – £1.20
Inflatables & Waterslide
- Adult – £5.80
- Junior – £5.20
- Member – £4.70
Family Swimming
- 2 adults & 2 children – £16.50
- 2 adults & 1 child – £13.70
- 1 adult & 2 children – £10.50
Aquafit – prices unchanged
- Aquafit – £7.50
- Member – £5.00
- Block of 10 – £68.00
- Member block of 10 – £45.00
Pool Parties
- Inflatables & waterslide – £290
- Inflatable or waterslide – £225
Double inflatable & slide – £340
Our monthly membership prices remain unchanged, £22pm for juniors and £30 for adults. We also have family membership options from 1 adult & 1 child at £44 to 2 adults & 4 children at £137.
To help us continue towards long-term financial sustainability, most pay-as-you-go prices will increase by around 5% from Monday 7th September. We have compared our prices with nearby pools and remain confident they are competitive.
We appreciate that price increases are never ideal, but they are necessary to help us cover our operating costs and ensure that Birtley Community Pool remains financially sustainable and serving our community for the future. More details can be found on the News & Updates page on our website.
Thank you for continuing to support your local community-run pool.
Timetable Updates
Wednesday Aquafit
Our Wednesday Aquafit session has moved from 9:15am to 9:30am following customer feedback. We know that a little extra time can make a big difference for parents doing the school run, and we hope the new start time works better for more of our customers.
AquaSocial
Starting Friday 11th September, 10:30–11:30am, AquaSocial offers gentle guided exercise in our Improver Pool, followed by free tea/coffee and biscuits. Sessions are limited to 15 people, with a Leisure Attendant or volunteer available to assist.
Prices:
- 65+ – £3.30
- Under 65 – £5.50
- Nimbus Access Card carers – Free
Paid transport may be available for eligible local residents aged 65+. Call or email us to register your interest.
Slide & Inflatable Sessions
Following customer feedback, we trialled additional evening waterslide sessions during the summer holidays. Attendance has been low during these sessions, however the Saturday slide session has been very popular.
For the September/October timetable, we’re therefore extending waterslide time on Saturdays and moving to one inflatable session instead of two on a Saturday.
We’re confident the single inflatable session will accommodate the customers who previously attended both sessions, while giving more customers the opportunity to enjoy the waterslide and public swimming.
We’ll continue to monitor attendance and listen to your feedback to make sure the timetable works for our customers.
Thank you for sharing your ideas with us, your feedback directly helps us improve the pool.
September Term Timetable
Running from Monday 7th September to Sunday 25th October 2026
Sept/Oct 26 Term Timetable
Donations
Help Us Make a Splash!
We’re now fundraising for solar panels, and your support can make a big difference! Donations are gratefully received via our GoFundMe page: