Inaugural Annual General Meeting

Inaugural Annual General Meeting

Birtley Community Aquatic Centre Charitable Incorporated Organisation are holding their Inaugural Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 14th May, 17:30 to 18:15 at Birtley Leisure Centre.

This meeting will include the presentation of the Trustees annual report and annual statement of accounts, as well as the appointment/re-appointment of the Trustees.

Anyone wishing to attend the meeting is requested to let the Chair (Yvonne Probert) know in advance by emailing yvonne.probert@birtleycommunitypool.org.uk or ringing 0191 4329 444.

New Membership Options

New Membership Options

New Membership Options – Launched 28th April!

We’ve updated our membership packages to better suit your needs – whether you’re joining solo, with the kids, or through your workplace!

Junior Membership

(Under 16s): Just £20/month

Family Memberships:

  • 2 Adults, 1 Child – £65/month

  • 2 Adults, 2 Children – £85/month

  • 2 Adults, 3 Children – £105/month

  • 2 Adults, 4 Children – £125/month

  • 1 Adult, 1 Child – £40/month

  • 1 Adult, 2 Children – £60/month

Adult Membership

£26.99/month

 

Corporate Rate Membership

£23.99/month
Available to employees of partner companies with sponsorships (includes family and one additional person).

  • Komatsu employees – you qualify under our Gold Sponsorship!

Member Discounts:

  • Inflatable Sessions: £4

  • Aquafit Classes: £6 per session

  • Aquafit Block (10 Sessions): £54

No minimum contract – just give 30 days’ notice to cancel.

Get more value, more flexibility, and more fun for the whole family. Come join us today!

Become a Member Now!

Celebrating 6 Months Open!

Celebrating 6 Months Open!

We’ve made it – 6 months open!
After the closure of the pool by Gateshead Council, our amazing community came together, fought hard, and brought it back to life. Thanks to the efforts of dedicated volunteers, a successful asset transfer, and a lot of hard work, the pool has officially been reopened for 6 months under the charity Birtley Community Aquatic Centre.
We’ve refurbished the slide, installed brand new lighting, upgraded the boilers, and brought in a super fun inflatable obstacle course that’s been a massive hit with families!
To keep building on this momentum, we’re fundraising to add five more segments to the obstacle course so we can create a new U-shape layout — bringing more variety, more fun, and more reasons to visit. We’re just £2,500 away from making it happen!
Check out this lovely feature by Daily Motion to hear more from our team and see what’s been going on behind the scenes.
If you can, please donate or share our GoFundMe — every little bit helps!

Get in touch with Birtley Community Pool

Address

Birtley Community Pool, Durham Rd, Birtley,
Chester-le-Street, DH3 2PA

Donations For New Inflatables

Donations For New Inflatables

Our Trustee Chair is fundraising to help us upgrade the inflatable obstacle course at Birtley Community Pool – and we need your help!

We’re hoping to add some fun new inflatable sections to make the pool even more exciting for the community! Every penny counts – whether you donate or simply share the page, it all makes a difference.

Please note: Change the tip to £0.

Thank you for your support – let’s do this together!

 

Donate Now!

Get in touch with Birtley Community Pool

Address

Birtley Community Pool, Durham Rd, Birtley,
Chester-le-Street, DH3 2PA

April 2025

April 2025

Birtley Community pool

April 2025 Newsletter

Issue 16

 

Exciting Updates for April

Spring is here, and we have plenty of exciting activities planned for you at Birtley Community Pool! From special Easter holiday sessions to new membership options, there’s something for everyone.

Don’t miss our Inflatable Fun Sessions running throughout the holidays — perfect for the family! Come along, join the fun, and make a splash this Easter at Birtley Community Pool!

Thank you for being part of our community — we’d like to wish everyone a Happy Easter!

 

New Membership Options

From April 28th, we are introducing family and junior memberships alongside our existing adult membership (£26.99/month). Please see the membership page on our website for more details, once updated.

Family Memberships

  • 2 adults, 1 child – £65.00/month
  • 2 adults, 2 children – £85.00/month
  • 2 adults, 3 children – £105.00/month
  • 2 adults, 4 children – £125.00/month
  • 1 adult, 1 child – £40.00/month
  • 1 adult, 2 children – £60.00/month

Junior Membership

For juniors ages up to 15 years old. £20.00 a month

Session Discounts For All Members

From April 28th, members can enjoy family fun sessions for just £4, as well as Aquafit sessions for £6!

 

Carer Access

Carers for customers who have a Nimbus access card are entitled to free admission. When they accompany a disabled person who presents their nimbus card, the customer with the disability will need to pay the normal price and the carer/s will come in free.

 

Easter Timetables

Week 1 runs from Monday 14th April to Sunday 20th April.

Week 1 Easter Timetable

Week 2 runs from Monday 21st April to Sunday 27th April.

Week 2 Easter Timetable

 

Easter Timetable Highlights

We are open as usual throughout the holidays, but reduced hours on Good Friday and Easter Monday, when the pool will be open to the public from 08:30 to 16:30.

Inflatables & Waterslide

Waterslide-only:

  • Week 1 (Mon–Thu): 12:00–13:30
  • Week 2 (Tue–Fri): 10:00–11:30

Inflatable including waterslide:

  • Week 1 (Mon-Thu): 14:00-15:00 & 15:15-16:15
  • Week 2 (Tue-Fri): 13:30-14:30 & 14:45-15:45
  • Easter Friday & Bank Holiday Monday: 12:00-13:00 & 13:15-14:15
  • Saturdays: 14:00–15:00 & 15:15–16:15
  • Sundays: 13:00–14:00 & 14:15–15:15

Aquafit

  • Regular sessions Mon-Thu in the first week, Tue-Thu in the second week.
  • No sessions on Fridays, Saturdays, or the Bank Holiday Monday.

Public Swimming

There will be more opportunity for public swimming in the evening during the Easter holidays, as there are no Swim City lessons. See the green sections on the timetable for details.

Swim Camps

  • Swim City Camp: Mon-Thu, 10:00 – 12:00
  • Gateshead Artistic Swimming Club: Mon & Tue, 09:00 – 12:15
  • Note: Equipment will produce a constant beat audible to other swimmers.

 

Parking Reminder & Updates

Why we Installed the Parking Eye System

Birtley Community Pool installed the Parking Eye system to prioritise parking for pool users, due to non-customers previously occupying spaces for long periods. Customers can park for free for up to 4 hours by entering their vehicle registration on one of the reception tablets or via the QR code on their phone.

Key Points

  • Signage has been placed throughout the facility, including the car park path and reception.
  • Entering Reg Number: Always double-check for accuracy.
  • Timing: You must enter your reg during your visit or later the same day (before closing) to qualify for free parking.
  • Collecting Someone: If waiting in the car park, enter your reg—there’s only a 10-minute grace period before a fine is issued.
  • Fines: Initially under 1% of visits resulted in fines; now it’s below 0.5%. Most because the reg number has been entered incorrectly or forgetting to register.
  • Received a Fine? Don’t pay it right away. Contact us with your details (name, mobile no/email, reg, fine date), we will reduce the fine to £20 with Parking Eye.

 

Thank You to the Moto Foundation!

We are thrilled that Moto’s Washington Services has donated £1,500 to help refurbish one of our pool water circulation pumps!

 

Volunteers Needed

Whether you have a few spare hours or can commit to a regular schedule, 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!

 

Feedback

We love hearing from our customers! Whether it’s a compliment, complaint, or an idea, let us know how we can improve your experience.

📢 Submit your feedback by emailing info@birtleycommunitypool.org.uk or fill out our feedback form on our Feedback Page

Get in touch with Birtley Community Pool

Address

Birtley Community Pool, Durham Rd, Birtley,
Chester-le-Street, DH3 2PA

Parking at Birtley Community Pool

Parking at Birtley Community Pool

Remember to register your vehicle on one of the tablets at reception or via the QR codes on posters around the building!

To avoid a fine, enter your plate number and select Visitor 4 hours, for 4 hours free parking as a customer.

If via QR code, enter your plate number and tick both the boxes before submitting.

If the car park is full during busy periods (Mon to Fri 3-7pm) please park in the car park near Morrisons and not in the residential streets by the pool, as this can cause issues for local residents.

 

How long do customers have to enter their car registration numbers?

Some customers have expressed concern that if they forget to enter their registration number when they arrive at the pool, and do this as they leave, they may still receive a parking fine.  We have confirmed with Parking Eye that as long as customers record their car registration number on the same day they used it, then they can park at the pool for up to four hours for free.

We have also confirmed with Parking Eye that if a customer forgets to record their car registration number when they are at the pool, as long as they do this later on the same day before the pool closes, their parking on that day will still be free for up to four hours.  Customers in this position could also call the pool and ask the staff on reception to do this on their behalf to avoid them having to travel back to the pool.

If using the car park multiple times, you must enter your registration on each individual visit.

 

Reducing the Parking Eye fines for our customers

Customers who visit the pool and forget to record their registration number on the same day as their visit will receive a letter from Parking Eye a few days later.  This includes details of the day and time that the customer parked at the pool and requests that they pay a fine of £100 to Parking Eye, which can be reduced to £60 if it is paid within 14 days of the date issued on the letter.

*Please note: Be aware of scams. Parking Eye will send letters, not texts or emails.

In this situation, customers should contact the pool reception by phone (0191 4329 444) or email (info@birtleycommunitypool.org.uk) as soon as possible and let us know their name, registration number, the date of the parking fine and their phone number or email address, so we can contact the customer if any clarification is required.

Birtley Community Pool will then contact Parking Eye and ask them to reduce the fine to £20, which is just to cover their costs. Once customers have done this, they should not pay the original fine and should instead wait until they have received a new letter, with the reduced £20 fine, before they make their payment.  We have already agreed with Parking Eye that they will reduce fines to £20 for our customers.

If customers feel they have strong mitigating circumstances as to why they did not enter their registration number whilst they were at the pool, please also provide us with this information and Birtley Community Pool will share this with Parking Eye.

Whenever you visit the pool, please remember to record your registration number on one of the tablets in reception, or by using the QR code on your phone whilst you are at the pool.  This will ensure that you don’t receive a parking fine.

 

Why did Birtley Community Pool install the Parking Eye system?

We installed the Parking Eye Solution to ensure thar the pool car park is used by our customers, rather than having other people parking there who are not using the pool.  We were aware that prior to this being introduced, some people were often leaving their cars in the pool car park for long periods but were not using the pool, therefore stopping our customers using the car park at busy times.

Customers who enter their registration number into the tablets are able to park for free for up to four hours.  People who want to use the car park but are not using the pool now have to pay for their parking or they will receive a fine which they will have to pay.  The parking fees are additional income for Birtley Community pool.