Volunteers: The Heart of Our Pool

While many lidos across the country are struggling to keep their doors open, ours is thriving and the secret is no secret at all: it’s our extraordinary volunteers.

The past seven weeks have been a cracking start to the season, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the incredible people who give their time for nothing, week in, week out. Quite simply, without them, this pool wouldn’t be what it is today.

Recognising Our Stars

That dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed beyond our gates either. We’re thrilled to share that Shirley Bond was runner-up in the Community Champion Award at the Cirencester Community Awards, a thoroughly well-deserved recognition. And our maintenance team were runners-up in the team category, though as far as we’re concerned, they’re outright winners. Absolute superstars, every one of them.

Meet the Maintenance Team

Pictured left to right: Andy B, Andy S, Marcus, and Richard.

This is the team that keeps everything running behind the scenes, from the plant room to the wider site. All volunteers, they devote countless hours ensuring the pool water stays clean and warm, tackling everything from unblocking sinks to the more complex and technical demands of pool maintenance. Occasionally a specialist is called in, but our team handles the vast majority themselves, drawing on a broad range of skills across many disciplines.

It’s in the dark arts of the plant room, though, where they really gel as a unit. Last spring, they were on hand to assist plasterers during a major upgrade to the pool lining, a significant project that required both skill and commitment. Marcus leads the team in his characteristically relaxed yet efficient style, though he does insist, without exception, that everyone stands in the same order for every photo.

Helping Hands from the Community

The volunteer spirit extends beyond our regular team too. A special shoutout goes to the brilliant crew from Strutt & Parker, estate agents here in Cirencester, who recently rolled up their sleeves and got stuck into litres and litres of creosote to get our fencing looking its very best for the season ahead. What a team effort.

Join Us

If you’ve got a bit of spare time, whether it’s an hour or a day, we’d love to have you on board. Every pair of hands makes a difference.

From all of us: thank you for being part of something special