Jubilee Pool set to be community owned – but needs funds to tackle soaring energy bills
Friends group needs to raise up to £30,000 by the end of December
Main image courtesy of Friends of Jubilee Pool.
Knowle’s Jubilee Pool is due to become the first in Bristol to be community-owned on September 30 – but now soaring energy prices are forcing a plea for new support.
The volunteer-run Friends of Jubilee Pool (FoJP) was set up to save the facility after it was earmarked for closure by Bristol City Council.
The popular pool has been used by the local community for 85 years and been saved from closure three times by campaigners.
Now when it looked as if the pool’s future was finally secure – the new operator suddenly withdrew in August when the utility supply crisis saw it looking at an additional £120,000 – £330,000 in annual costs.
Existing operator, Parkwood, stepped in to save the day and will remain in post – but the company is also facing higher energy charges.
“…there is no way we are prepared to give up easily.”
FoJP Chair Jules Laming explains: “We are still on course for taking Jubilee Pool into community ownership on the September 30.
“The Parkwood offer is a lifeline and we are really pleased to be working with them moving forward, but the reality is that we are looking at a very sizeable unforeseen deficit to keep the pool going in the midst of the energy crisis.
“While we have funds in place to see us through the first three months of the contract, we will need to fund-raise like crazy to raise the £20,000 to £30,000 by the end of December to cover the January to April costs.
“As a consequence, we are asking the community and potential sponsors again – is there the commitment and the money to keep this dream alive? Because without them we cannot guarantee Jubilee Pool’s future.”
She said the group would be “enormously grateful for donations of any size” – but it was important for people to keep using the pool and to take out monthly membership.
She added: “We’ve come this far; the pool and gym have been busier than ever since our campaign started; but together we need to do more; there is no way we are prepared to give up easily.”
Offers of help can be posted on the Friends’ Facebook and Twitter social media accounts where there are also links to the Local Giving page and Save Jubilee Pool website which includes a link to a donations page.
