YMCA Help

21st April 2008

FYLDE Council has revealed the YMCA is to take over day-to-day running of the borough's swimming pools.
The move – which happens next Monday – marks the end of complete council control of the pools in Kirkham and St Annes, although the authority will continue to work in partnership with YMCA bosses.

But it comes too late to save St Annes leisure facility long-term.

Visitors to the pools will now see council staff working alongside YMCA employees, who have been drafted in to try to ensure the pools remain open until money from the cash-strapped authority runs out.

St Annes Pool will close for the final time on July 31 with funding for Kirkham baths, which was given a 12-month reprieve from town hall cuts, running out on March 31.

Paul Norris, executive manager for community and cultural services at the council, says some council staff have moved on since the decision was taken to axe the pool – leading to a need for more staff to ensure the safety of swimmers.

He said: "Our most important concern is to ensure the safety and welfare on the public.

"There are still some details to be sorted out but the YMCA are prepared to help us with staff numbers.

"However there are no guarantees the pools will be able to stay open until these dates. If everybody left we would have to shut because the YMCA could not fully staff the pools on their own."

John Cronin, chief executive of the Fylde Coast YMCA, says the organisation, which already has 'dry' facilities in St Annes and Lytham, wants to safeguard public swimming in Fylde.

He said: "We have cometo try and ensure the pool will be kept open.

"Once we have managed to achieve this then we can begin talking to the council about the long-term future of swimming in the borough.

"The YMCA is a community based operation and if there is a group hoping to achieve this we will talk to them."

The council says a facility to replace St Annes pool, in partnership with the YMCA, could be built in Lytham or St Annes within 18 months.

Kirkham and Rural Splash, a community group which wants to take over the control of Kirkham baths, is aiming to secure enough funding to keep the pool running after council cash runs out.

Kirkham councillor Elaine Silverwood, a member of the group, said: "We are happy providing this is just a case of bringing in reserve members of the staff and retaining existing members of staff. We as a group are trying everything to keep the baths open long-term."