Friends of Northleach Swimming Pool

A Night of Fashion, Fun & Retail Therapy

2014-07-03T16:07:00.003+01:00

Thursday 10th July 2014

From 7.15pm-10.30pm @ Cotswold Lion Cafe

Northleach Fashion Show 8.00pm

In addition to the fashion show there will be a summer make-up demonstration and beauty treatments, including nails, head, neck & shoulder massage, hair styling/chalking all for just £5 per treatment.

There will also be some great retail stands, drinks & nibbles available.

Tickets £6.00 including a welcome drink

Available to purchase from the playground on Friday 4th at 9am & 3.15pm or email fonspool@gmail.com.

Dates for Your Diary: AGM & Pool Training

2014-04-25T16:44:00.001+01:00

The AGM for Friends of Northleach Swimming Pool takes place on Monday 28th April, 8pm in the Taylor Room at the Westwoods Centre.

We are still looking for a replacement chemical team leader and treasurer. The pool cannot operate without them. If you think you could help, come to the meeting, or fill in the form that was sent out in book bags.

As every year, we also need volunteers to supervise swimming sessions after school and during the holidays. Training is provided, which covers pool operating procedures, life saving skills and water rescue in 1m deep water. Just be prepared to get your face wet!

We have organised the water rescue course for Tuesday 3rd June. The course starts at 9:15 and will finish at around 4:30. Please fill in your details on the form and return to Mrs Spice.

A Very Important Letter About Our Retirement!

2014-04-02T10:14:00.004+01:00

Every summer the children enjoy swimming in the school swimming pool. The pool is not run by the school, but by a small band of parent volunteers. If you would like your children to continue to benefit from the pool then YOUR CHILDREN NEED YOU TO GET INVOLVED.

Two of the pool management team (of three) are leaving. Pauline runs the chemical side of things, and deals with the policies and procedures that are required. Pauline’s youngest child is leaving the school this year and it is time for her to retire. Claire, who manages the accounts, is also stepping down at the end of this summer after a five-year stint.

Without a chemical team leader and treasurer, the pool cannot operate.

We would like to recruit replacements for our roles this year – so that we have a chance to show them how the pool is run. We will start preparing the pool at Easter – it has to be emptied, cleaned, painted and refilled – and can show exactly what needs doing. We need volunteers to help with pool preparation as well as with chemicals. We will organise training to show people how to test the water and keep it sparkly.

When we joined the pool committee five years ago, the previous committee had gone, and we were quite literally dropped in at the deep end (pun intended). We have no intention of putting our replacements through the same difficulties. We’ve worked incredibly hard to ensure the pool is an efficient and safe operation, backed up by the necessary policies, and we are proud to leave that as our legacy.

We need to find our replacements NOW so that we can pass on our knowledge and the school can plan for the coming academic year. If we don’t have our replacements in place by September, there will be no school swimming in 2015.

If you think you could help, please talk to us to find out about what’s involved or come to our AGM. As every year, we also need volunteers to supervise swimming sessions after school and during the holidays. Whether you can do a little or a lot, it all counts. Many hands make light work, as they say! When the sun shines and the children have a fabulous time swimming, it is extremely rewarding.

The Annual General Meeting of the Friends of Northleach Swimming Pool takes place at 8pm on Monday 28th April in the Westwoods Centre. Please support us!

We would like to thank all of those who have volunteered and supported the pool in recent years. There are too many to mention, but it includes lifeguards, helpers and chemical testers. We are particularly grateful to the fundraising team of Rosie Moser, Caroline Holmes and Alex Poole, who have done an amazing job. It costs around £5,000 each year to run the pool, and they have made this possible. They plan to continue with their fundraising activities, and we can’t thank them enough!

Pauline Rigby & Claire Burditt
pauline.anne.rigby@gmail.com 861821
claire@burdittfamily.co.uk 861088

70s and 80s disco - 1st February 2014

2013-12-11T15:01:00.000+00:00

In a repeat of last year's wildly successful event, the disco is back!
Saturday 1st February 2014, 8pm to midnight.
The Westwoods Centre, Northleach.
Tickets £10 including a bacon sarnie.

Childrens' Cinema on 21 December

2013-11-25T15:20:00.001+00:00

A beautiful Christmas film to get us in the mood and help us raise funds for the pool next summer! Suggested donation of £2 per child. Lovely popcorn and other refreshments available.

Enter Our Dog Show at Charter Fair

2013-06-20T21:29:00.004+01:00

Come to our dog show at Northleach Charter Fair on Saturday 29th June.

Entry is from 12 on the field. Enter as many classes as you want on the day. The entry fee is £1.30 per class per dog.

The classes are….dog the judge would most like to take home, waggiest tail, handsomest dog, prettiest bitch, best condition, best non pedigree, best rescue, best junior (6-14yrs) handler, best adult handler, best movement non matching brace, best novelty in show, best companion, best veteran, fancy dress, gundog, non sporting, yearling, puppy and AV open.

The show starts at 1pm. You will find the display area over towards the tennis courts.

There are rosettes and prizes for winning dogs as well as for all children who take dogs into the ring.

You can't get much for £10 these days...

2013-06-14T17:19:00.002+01:00

A pint of beer and a packet of cigarettes

Four cappuccinos in the wine bar

A decent bottle of wine in the supermarket

One family swim at Cotwold Leisure pool in Bourton

We ask for a vountary contribution of just £10 per child to swim for the half term. Each class swims at least twice per week - the reception class aim to swim every day - so this represents excellent value for money!

Sadly, last year only 37% of parents/carers chose to make their contribution, donating a total of £690. With gift aid it increased to £883, leaving a shortfall of £3,617. Our oil bill alone was £2,400. We make up the shortfall through our fundraising activities, but it's an awful lot of work.

Every child can swim whether or not their parents pay. We recognise that some families face genuine hardship, and we understand if that is the case. However, if you can afford £10, then we really need your support.

Donations can be made by cash or cheque. Please download, complete and return the form to Mrs Spice with cash or cheques made payable to Friends of Northleach Swimming Pool.

Please note: We are not currently able to accept online donations. Charity Giving has shut down.

Updated on 14 July 2013

Pool opens this weekend

2013-06-06T10:42:00.002+01:00

Great news! The pool will be open this weekend, on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th June, 2-4pm.

Unfortunately, we currently don't have enough volunteers to open the pool after school, so we plan to open at weekends only for the time being. If you think you can help us out with pool supervision, please get in touch. Water rescue and first aid training is provided.

Here's a reminder of our admissions policy:

The pool is open to children of playgroup and primary school age (under 12) and their families.

Price
£1:50 per child per session.

Age 8 and over
Can swim unaccompanied, but must provide an emergency contact tel. number. Please let us know about any health conditions, such as asthma.

Under 8s
Must be accompanied by a responsible adult (age 18+)
Although you are not required to be in the water with your child(ren), you should keep a close eye on them and make sure they know and follow the pool rules - in particular no running along the pool side and no diving or jumping into the water (always use the steps to enter and exit the pool).

Supervision ratios for under 8s
Age 4 to 7: One adult to three children.
Age 3 and under: One adult to two children with armbands. One to one without.
Mixed ages: One adult can supervise one child age 3 or younger with armbands plus one or two children age 4 to 7.

Babies/toddlers
Supervision must be in the pool.
Swim nappies must be worn (the gel in standard nappies is not suitable for pools).
We don't recommend swimming with babies less than six months old, the water is heated, but it still isn't really warm enough for such tiny bodies!

Healthy swimming
Chlorine kills most germs within minutes, but you can help us stop germs getting in the pool in the first place by following three simple guidelines:

1. Don't swim when you feel unwell.
2. Use the toilet and wash hands before getting in the pool.
3. Make sure your child has frequent bathroom breaks.

AGM - 8pm Wednesday 5 June

2013-05-20T16:45:00.001+01:00

The AGM of Friends of Northleach Swimming Pool will take place at 8pm, Wednesday 5 June 2013, in the Westwoods Centre.

Many hands make light work, as they say. Please help us keep the pool running for another year!

This is the meeting where the Officers get elected for the next 12 months. Claire and I are happy to continue volunteering for the pool, but we need one other person to join the committee, either as Chair, or Secretary, depending on where their skills lie. Don’t worry, we won’t drop newcomers in at the deep end!

It's odd but I remember saying that last year...

Agenda as follows:

1. Acceptance of minutes
2. Report on 2012 season
3. Election of Officers
4. Pool equipment update
5. Fundraising for 2013
6. AOB

Pauline Rigby, Secretary

We want to make more friends!

2013-04-19T14:57:00.001+01:00

Did you know? Northleach Open Air Swimming Pool was first opened in July 1965. It was built by the community working together with the school, and benefits the local children. It is an ideal learner pool and brilliant fun for all children up to around age 11. You can come along to sessions or hire the pool for birthday parties or just for a couple of hours of private use.

The pool is a charity and is funded by donations from the community. It is volunteer run by "Friends of Northleach Swimming Pool" and we really need some help to keep this wonderful resource open. Last year the pool was run by a small and dedicated group of four people for the entire summer. We need to spread the workload or we’ll quite literally go under!

Could you:

Become a lifeguard. We will provide all the training you need including first aid, in return for which we would ask for a couple of hours a week to oversee swimming sessions. The training takes around 10 hours over 2 sessions - dates for this year to be confirmed.
Test the water. Whilst the pool is open the water needs regular testing to ensure the water is clean and safe. On-site training is provided and covers simple tests using a photometer to check the chlorine and pH levels.
Become the secretary. Help keep our committee organised. It's not an all year round job, most of the work is in the summer term. The main task are taking minutes at meetings and record keeping, keeping the contact list and CRB checks up to date.
Help at our fundraising events. An hour here or there to help out with a BBQ or stall at the Charter Fair would make all the difference.

Last but not least, we need some summer sun this year! If you have any influence over the weather then please use it.

Whether you want to dip in a toe or jump right in, any and all help will be greatly appreciated! To find out more about everything swimming pool, email us at fonspool@gmail.com. Stay in touch by becoming our friend on Facebook www.facebook.com/northleachpool.

Car Boot Sale on 6 May

2013-04-08T11:31:00.001+01:00

We are holding a car boot/table top sale in the car park at Sebastian Sellers, The Coalyard, Northleach.

10:30am to 2:30pm on bank holiday Monday, 6 May 2013.

To book a pitch e-mail fonspool@gmail.com or phone Caroline on 01451 861098.

Your pool needs you!

2012-03-06T14:52:00.003+00:00

It's that time of year again already. We're holding this year's AGM on Tuesday 27th March at 8pm in the Westwoods Center. Please come and join us to help us plan for the coming year. (Please note, the date has been changed!)

The pool is run by quite a small team who would love to have some more help! We need people to help fundraise, do pool maintenance, supervise swims and help with chemical tests - if you can help with any of this we'd be delighted to see you. The more the merrier. Training is provided if necessary.

Here's looking forward to a nice hot summer!

Pool open for the holidays!

2011-08-03T12:47:00.004+01:00

The pool is open to children of playgroup and primary school age (under 12) and their families during the holidays. We are open every day from 2pm to 4pm, weather permitting.

This is what you need to know:

Price
£1:50 per child per session.

Age 8 and over
Can swim unaccompanied, but must provide an emergency contact tel. number. Please let us know about any health conditions, such as asthma.

Under 8s
Must be accompanied by a responsible adult (age 18+)
Although you are not required to be in the water with your child(ren), you should keep a close eye on them and make sure they know and follow the pool rules - in particular no running along the pool side and no diving or jumping into the water (always use the steps to enter and exit the pool).

Supervision ratios for under 8s
Age 4 to 7: One adult to three children.
Age 3 and under: One adult to two children with armbands. One to one without.
Mixed ages: One adult can supervise one child age 3 or younger with armbands plus one or two children age 4 to 7.

Babies/toddlers
Supervision must be in the pool.
Swim nappies must be worn (the gel in standard nappies is not suitable for pools).
We don't recommend swimming with babies less than six months old, the water is heated, but it still isn't really warm enough for such tiny bodies!

Healthy swimming
Chlorine kills most germs within minutes, but you can help us stop germs getting in the pool in the first place by following three simple guidelines:

1. Don't swim when you feel unwell.
2. Use the toilet and wash hands before getting in the pool.
3. Make sure your child has frequent bathroom breaks.

It's a boi-ler (groan)

2011-07-23T22:12:00.000+01:00

As no doubt you can tell from the previous post, we reached our fundraising target (and then some!) and so we went ahead with the installation of the new boiler. It was a mad, hectic time. Just three weeks after we began our fundraising campaign, we were booking the work, and getting on with all the other things that need doing to get the pool open at the start of the season - like cleaning out the pool, weeding and generally tidying up and organising rescue training.

So, the old boiler is no more. Here are a few photos so that we may remember it:

And here is the swanky new boiler:

THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this possible, by donating money or time or just helping to spread the word.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

2011-05-24T11:52:00.002+01:00

Our fundraising campaign for the new boiler has been featured in the local papers, and the articles can be read online. The Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard went with the headline Please help to save town pool, and the Gloucestershire Echo with Fundraisers take plunge for pool. Great articles!

May Marathon Madness

2011-05-11T09:56:00.009+01:00

On Friday 20th May 2011, the school will be runnning a marathon, raising money towards a new boiler for the swimming pool! Pairs of classes will be running a marathon distance between them (26.2 miles!) The pairs will be: Classes 1 & 6, 2 & 5 and 3 & 4! They will be running, walking, skipping, hopping, cycling and other crazy way they can think of. Each pair of classes will decide how to work together to cover the distance. It will take place during the whole day and will be run across the fields and both playgrounds. In total, the school will do three marathons!!

Time to dust off your dancing shoes

2011-05-10T11:01:00.000+01:00

The Friends are holding a Zumba dance evening with Nigel May of La Tempesta on 17 June. It's a great opportunity to try the latest fitness craze, and promises to be great fun. Suitable for all ages. Everyone welcome!

Call 01451 861338 for tickets.

A huge thank you to Northleach Club

2011-05-02T20:43:00.001+01:00

Here's an excerpt from a letter from Alf Worsfold, a director of Northleach Club Ltd., the company that runs the Pavilion.

On behalf of Northleach Club Limited I have great pleasure in advising you that we will make a donation of £1,000 to your fund raising to assist with the purchase of a new boiler. With it go our very best wishes to all the team who are working so hard to preserve a valuable community asset, just as we did some 2 years ago when we first started our efforts to resurrect the sports and social club. (I have been caught twice by your collectors so far - once in the wine bar and then by Marge my neighbour in Crail View - keep up the good work !!)

Woo hoo! What a tremendous boost to our fundraising efforts. Thank you Northleach Club Ltd.

Your new committee

2011-04-28T12:46:00.005+01:00

We had a fabulous turn-out for the AGM last night. Thank you to everyone who came or sent messages of support. For those who are wondering, your new committee members are:

Lucy Jackson, Chair
Pauline Rigby, Secretary
Claire Burditt, Treasurer
Jill Manning, Fundrasing Co-ordinator
Terri Morely-Blackwell, Chief Lifeguard

We also raised £100 on the night, and a further £150 was pledged.

A huge thank you to the outgoing chair, Terri, who has done the most amazing job keeping us all motivated and positive over the last six months, despite setbacks like the boiler. She also printed and distributed leaflets to the whole of Northleach yesterday, which goes well beyond the call of duty, especially at 28 weeks pregnant. Thank you Terri!

The minutes will be circulated as soon as they are ready. (Note to self, must type faster).

UPDATE: Minutes are available here.

Donate online

2011-04-27T19:49:00.003+01:00

You can now make an online donation to Friends of Northleach Swimming Pool.

Payments are securely handled by Charitygiving, who make no charge for non-Gift Aid payments, and only collect a small fee for Gift Aid payments.

http://www.charitygiving.co.uk/donate/northleachswimpool/

AGM - 8pm Wednesday 27 April

2011-04-05T20:52:00.006+01:00

The AGM of Friends of Northleach Swimming Pool will take place at 8pm, Wednesday 27 April, in the Midwinter Room at the Westwoods Centre. The Town Council has very kindly let us have use of the room for free.

By the time we meet, the pool equipment should have been inspected and tested, so we should know the lay of the land this year. We’ve fixed one burst pipe caused by the harsh winter. Hopefully, the boiler will pass its annual service. Fingers crossed!

This is the meeting where the three Officers get elected for the next 12 months. Claire and I are happy to continue volunteering for the pool, but we need at least one other person to join the Committee, either as Chair, or Secretary, depending on where their skills lie. Don’t worry, we won’t drop newcomers in at the deep end! If you know anyone who would be interested, please invite them along. They don’t need to be a parent at the school; we welcome anyone from the local area who is willing to help us keep things going.

The agenda for the meeting is as follows:

1. Welcome to new faces
2. Heads of Agreement
3. Pool equipment update
4. Fundraising for 2011
5. Election of Officers
6. AOB

If there’s anything else you would like to add to the agenda, just let me know.

Thanks and see you there!

UPDATE: Did anyone spot the deliberate mistake? Election of officers has been added to the agenda.

We're on Facebook, come and join us

2011-03-15T11:27:00.010+00:00

Pool open Sunday 27 June 2:30 pm

2010-06-27T11:23:00.004+01:00

With temperatures expected to reach 30 degrees today, we have decided to open the pool this afternoon to help everyone cool off. First session at 2:30 pm and second session at 3:30 pm.

Pool open after school

2010-06-16T21:27:00.001+01:00

I am pleased to advise you that the swimming pool will be open after school for the remainder of the term starting today, Wednesday 16 June.

Pool opening will always be subject to weather conditions, pool safety standards and lifeguard availability. A decision on whether it is possible to open will be made at 3 pm every day, so please check the A-board in the playground for more information.

The lifeguards also need another adult with them so if anyone can help at any of the after school sessions, please see Terri Morley-Blackwell or add your name to the rota on the notice board by the hall.

The sessions will run from 3.30 – 4.30 and the cost will be £1.50 (please bring change if possible!). We do have a limit on pool numbers of 25 and places will be given on a first come basis. This will mean that on certain days we will be unable to accommodate all those children who want to come. Please understand that the lifeguard is not able to be flexible on this rule.

For safety reasons, under 8’s must be accompanied by an adult, and non-swimmers who are not comfortably within their depth in all parts of the pool should wear armbands or a floatation device.

Don’t forget that the pool is available for party hire outside of the sessions above. Terri and Mrs Spice have the details. During private hire the age restrictions are lifted and it is a great venue for a children’s party or a family swim.

Our new logo is unveiled

2010-06-09T18:41:00.001+01:00

Jules Russell has digitized Niamh's winning competition entry and it looks amazing.