Easter at Birtley Community Pool
Spring has arrived, and we’re excited to welcome you to a fun-filled Easter at the pool! Whether you’re looking to keep the kids active during the holidays or enjoy a relaxing swim, we’ve got something for everyone. Our Easter programme will include inflatable sessions, slide sessions, family-friendly swims, and plenty of opportunities to enjoy the water for general and lane swimming. It’s the perfect way to stay active and spend quality time together over the Easter holidays!
Download the full newsletter here:
April 2026 Newsletter
Meet The Team
Rebecca Scott – Trustee
Rebecca is a valued member of our trustee board and provides guidance on health and safety. Her input helps ensure that we maintain high standards across the facility, keeping both customers and staff safe.
Mehek Kably – Shadow Trustee
Mehek has recently joined us as a shadow trustee from Newcastle University. She brings fresh ideas and supports our social media and marketing efforts, helping us better connect with the community.
Amelia & Freya – Leisure Attendants
Our team is at the heart of everything we do. From ensuring safety in the water to keeping the building clean and welcoming, every member plays an important role in delivering a positive experience for our community. Our Leisure Attendants rotate between lifeguarding, cleaning, and front desk duties. This means they are always ready to support customers, maintain safety in and around the pool, and ensure the facility stays clean and well-presented.
Vacancies
We’re looking for people to join our team! If you’re passionate about the community and want to make a difference, we’d love to hear from you. We are hiring for the following roles:
- Leisure Attendants (full-time, part-time, weekend, zero hour)
- Lead Leisure Attendants (full-time)
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!
Your Feedback Matters
Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our recent customer survey, we really appreciate your feedback! We received 81 responses, and we’re pleased to share that our overall satisfaction score was 8.9 out of 10.
Download the full report here:
Annual Customer Survey Report 2026 – Birtley Community PoolWhat You’re Loving
We’re proud to see such positive feedback across many areas:
- Friendly and approachable staff (9.3/10)
- A welcoming community atmosphere
- Feeling safe during visits (9.6 / 10)
- Staff helpfulness and knowledge (9.4 / 10)
- Accessibility of the pool (9.4 / 10)
- Overall experience (9.1 / 10)
Thank you, it means a lot to our team to hear this!
Where We Can Improve
Your feedback also highlighted some areas we’re focusing on:
- Cleanliness of changing rooms and facilities
- Pool water temperature too cold
- Timetable variety and session availability
- Parking Eye and parking space issues
We’re already reviewing these areas and working on improvements.
What Happens Next
Our Trustees and management team are creating an action plan based on your feedback. We’ll keep you updated on changes and improvements over the coming months.
Based on your feedback, we’ve already made, or are working towards, a number of improvements:
- Ongoing lifeguard and customer service training
- Continued daily and deep cleaning routines
- Improvements to inflatable sessions, including:
– A smaller inflatable run for younger children
– More music to improve atmosphere
– Float vests available to purchase
– Reduced queues and smoother session flow
We’ve also applied for funding to support the AquaSocial programme which will improve accessibility to the pool for older people.
Future Funding & Projects
Solar Panels
We have already been successful in one of our funding applications and are waiting to hear from the remaining fund that we have applied for.
- Up to 120 panels on the pool roof
- Could reduce electricity consumption by a further 12%
Improved Air Circulation
- We are about to submit a funding application to fund an investment in destratification fans, which will reduce the cost of heating the air in the pool hall and maintain the temperature.
- This would reduce our gas consumption by a further 9% and our annual carbon emissions by 28000 kg per year.
- They will also remove cold spots around the pool hall, as they circulate the warm air evenly throughout the space
Energy & Sustainability Updates
We’ve made significant progress in reducing energy use since reopening:
Gas Usage Reduction (Total: 47.5%)
- New energy-efficient boilers: 27.5%
- Improved insulation in plant room: 20%
Electricity Reduction (Total: 48.4%)
- LED lighting installation: 9%
- Reduced pump use overnight: 14.3%
- Reduced UV treatment hours: 13.7%
- Air handling system off overnight: 13.4%
The Hon Sharon Hodgson, Local MP Visited Birtley Community Pool
We were delighted to welcome our local MP, the Hon Sharon Hodgson, to Birtley Community Pool recently for a tour of our facilities. During the visit, Sharon had the chance to meet our team, see our activities in action, and hear more about the work we are doing to support health and wellbeing in the community.
She was particularly impressed by the dedication of our staff and volunteers, as well as the range of activities available for all ages, from swimming lessons and family fun sessions to fitness and social activities.
It was a great opportunity to showcase the positive impact the pool has on the local residents, and we look forward to continuing our work to keep the community active, water confident and connected.
Timetable Updates
Easter Weekend (3rd – 6th April)
We’ll be running a special Easter timetable across the bank holiday weekend:
Opening times:
- Good Friday: Open 8:00am – 2:30pm
- Saturday 4th April: Open 7:00am – 3:45pm
- Easter Sunday: Closed
- Easter Monday: Open 8:00am – 2:30pm
Inflatable (including slide) times
- Good Friday: 1:30-2:30pm
- Saturday 4th: 1:30-2:30pm & 2:45-3:45pm
- Easter Monday: 1:30-2:30pm
Slide only sessions
- Fri 3rd, Sat 4th & Mon 6th: 10am-1pm
AquaSocial session running as normal on Easter Monday.
Closed on Easter Sunday 5th April.
Easter Week 1 (7th – 12th April)
Slide & Lily Pads (Mini inflatable run in Improver Pool)
- Tue & Thu: 12–3pm.
- Sat & Sun: 9am–12:45pm
Double Inflatable (with slide)
- Wed & Fri: 12:45pm & 2pm
- Sat: 1:30pm & 2:45pm.
- Sun: 1:30pm
Slide Only
- Tue, Thu, Fri: 8:30–10am
- Wed & Fri: 3:30–5pm
For more information on public swimming and Aquafit classes, check the timetable below!
Easter Week 2 (13th-19th April)
Double Inflatable (with slide)
- Mon, Wed, Fri: 12:15pm & 1:30pm
- Sat: 1:30pm & 2:45pm.
- Sun: 1:30pm
Slide & Lily Pads
- Tue & Thu: 1–4pm
- Sat & Sun: 9am–12:45pm
Slide Only
- Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 8:30–11:30am
- Wed: 10–11:30am
- Mon, Wed, Fri: 3–4:30pm
Donate!
Help Us Make a Splash!
We’re still fundraising for exciting new inflatable obstacle course sections, and your support can make a big difference! Donations are gratefully received via our GoFundMe page: gofundme.com/new-obstacle-course-inflatables-for-birtley-community-pool
Get in touch with Birtley Community Pool
Address
Birtley Community Pool, Durham Rd, Birtley,
Chester-le-Street, DH3 2PA