July 2026
July/August 2026 Newsletter
Issue 26
Summer at Birtley Community Pool
The summer holidays are almost here, and we’ve got lots planned to help you make the most of your visit to Birtley Community Pool. Alongside our summer holiday timetable, extra slide sessions and inflatable fun, we’re also sharing updates on how we’ve responded to customer feedback, celebrating another fantastic fundraising achievement by one of our volunteers, and highlighting a few important reminders!
Feedback & Suggestions
We always welcome customer feedback and regularly review suggestions to see where improvements can be made. Here’s what we’ve been working on.
Evening Slide Sessions Return This Summer
Many customers asked if we could bring back evening slide sessions, so we’re delighted to announce they’re returning during the summer holidays.
20 July – 9 August
- Mondays: 8:00pm-9:30pm
- Wednesdays: 6:00pm-8:00pm
10 August – 30 August
- Monday to Thursday: 6:00pm-8:00pm
We hope these additional sessions give more families the opportunity to enjoy the slide during the holidays.
Specialist and Dedicated Swimming Sessions
We’ve received enquiries about specialist and dedicated swimming sessions for people with hidden disabilities and their carers. While we don’t currently offer dedicated sessions, we’re committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming experience for everyone during our public swims.
If you’re looking for a quieter swim – for example, to support autism, sensory sensitivities, SEND, young children, older adults, or a calmer environment – we recommend visiting Monday to Friday, 8:30am–12:30pm, when the pool is usually at its quietest. During these times, both the baby pool and our 1-metre improver pool are available.
If you would like to discuss any specific needs, please speak to one of our Lead Leisure Attendants (wearing blue shirts). We’ll do our best to support you and can also signpost you to other local pools that offer dedicated specialist sessions if they’re more suitable.
Specialist groups can also hire the pool for private bookings on Friday evenings (after 4pm during school holidays or after 7pm during term time) and Saturdays after 4pm. If you’re interested, we’d be happy to hear from you.
Thank you for your continued feedback. It helps us improve our services and make them as inclusive and accessible as possible for everyone.
Nimbus Access Card
Carers for customers who have a Nimbus Access Card are entitled to free admission. The card holder will need to pay the normal price for their swim and the carer/s swim for free.
Apply on www.accesscard.online
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!
We’d Love Your Feedback
Whether you’ve learned to swim, improved your health, met new friends or simply enjoy visiting us each week, we’d love to hear your story.
We’re looking to feature testimonials from our customers across our website, newsletters and social media to help demonstrate the impact our community pool has on local people.
If you’d be happy to share your experience, please complete our online testimonial form.
Thank you for helping us tell the story of our community pool.
Enjoy the Sunshine
If you’re planning to relax outside before or after your swim this summer, we’ll have blankets available to borrow from reception.
Feel free to grab one, head onto the grass and enjoy the sunshine while making the most of your visit.
Photography Reminder
To help protect the privacy of all our customers, please do not take photographs or videos inside the pool hall and changing village.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping us provide a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.
Paul’s Four Lakes Challenge
Back in May we shared that one of our volunteers, Paul Snaith, had taken on the incredible challenge of swimming four Lake District lakes to raise vital funds for our community-run pool.
We’re delighted to share that Paul has now completed three of the four swims.
After successfully swimming Derwentwater and Coniston Water, Paul completed the challenging 7.6-mile Ullswater end-to-end swim on Sunday 5th July.
The swim had originally been planned for Saturday but was postponed due to strong winds and poor weather conditions. Although the first half of the swim was completed in relatively calm conditions, the weather soon changed, leaving Paul to battle strong winds and choppy waves for the remaining 3.6 miles.
Despite the difficult conditions, Paul completed the full 7.6-mile swim in an incredible 4 hours and 50 minutes.
Paul now has just one final challenge remaining:
- ✅ Derwentwater
- ✅ Coniston Water
- ✅ Ullswater
- Windermere (September)
We’re incredibly proud of Paul’s determination and commitment to supporting Birtley Community Pool. His challenge perfectly reflects the community spirit that keeps our charity-run pool thriving.
If you’d like to support Paul’s fundraising challenge, every donation, large or small, helps us continue providing affordable swimming and community programmes for local people – https://gofund.me/8a822e77c
Timetable Updates
This summer we’ll be running two separate holiday timetables:
Timetable 1: Mon 20th Jul – Sun 9th Aug
Summer Timetable 1Timetable 2: Mon 10th Aug– Sun 30th Aug
Summer Timetable 2Slide Sessions
20 July – 9 August
- Monday-Friday: 8:30am-10:00am
- Monday: 8:00pm-9:30pm
10 August – 30 August
- Tuesday & Thursday: 6:00pm-8:00pm
Lily Pad Sessions (Improver Pool – under 5s)
20 July – 9 August
- Tuesday & Thursday: 1:30pm-4:00pm
- Wednesday: 6:00pm-8:00pm
- Saturday & Sunday: 9:00am-1:00pm
10 August – 30 August
- Monday-Friday: 8:30am-11:00am
- Tuesday & Thursday: 1:30pm-4:00pm
- Monday & Wednesday: 6:00pm-8:00pm
- Saturday & Sunday: 9:00am-1:00pm
Double Inflatable Sessions (+slide)
- Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays – 12:30pm & 2:30pm
- Saturdays – 1:30pm & 2:45pm
- Sundays – 1:30pm
Classes
- Aquafit: Tue 12:15/12pm (Main Pool)
- NEW Aquafit: Tue 7:15pm (Improver Pool)
- Aquafit: Wed 9am (Main Pool)
- AquaIntro: Thu 7pm (Improver Pool)
Summer Updates
Summer Holiday Swim Offer for 16-19 Year Olds
This summer holiday, we’re extending our £3.30 junior swim price to include 16 to 19-year-olds.
Usually available for children aged 4–15, this reduced price will now apply to everyone aged 4–19 throughout the school summer holidays. We hope this encourages more young people to stay active, have fun and enjoy swimming in a safe environment.
Please note that this offer does not apply to Inflatable Fun sessions. Prices for these remain £5.00 for children aged 4–15 and £5.50 for anyone aged 16 and over.
Swim Camp
From 20 July to 7 August, Swim City will be running Holiday Swim Camps for up to 80 local children each day. As a result, all three pools will be reserved between 10:00am and 12:00pm, and public swimming will not be available during these times.
Each day begins with swimming lessons at Birtley Community Pool, followed by an hour of fun water activities. The children then enjoy lunch and arts and crafts in a local church hall, with the camp finishing at 2:00pm.
The camps include 65 funded places for eligible children through the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, delivered in partnership with the local council. There are also 15 paid places available each day at £20 per child.
To book a paid place, visit the Swim City website, select “Book Now”, then choose “Crash Courses” under the Birtley Community Pool section.
If you usually swim between 10:00am and 12:00pm on weekdays, don’t worry!
During these three weeks, there will be additional public swimming sessions available from 4:00pm onwards, as Swim City’s regular swimming lessons finish for the summer holidays on 19th July.
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: www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-us-get-solar-panels-for-birtley-community-pool
