After a year of fundraising, Faversham’s swimming pools can finally replace their ageing heating system.
New energy-efficient boilers will be installed thanks to a £93,000 grant from Swale Borough Council and two further grants from national funders.
The pool’s existing boilers, which heat both the water and the building, are 25 years old, worn out, inefficient and likely to pack up at any time. They are also expensive to run and generate large amounts of carbon dioxide. The modern new condensing boilers will dramatically reduce heating bills and cut carbon emissions by up to a third.
The town’s most popular tourist attraction by far with nearly 250,000 visits each year, Faversham Swimming Pools is a registered charity. Opened in 1964, the outdoor pools were a genuine community project, funded entirely by local people. The indoor pool was added in 1993 with help from Swale Borough Council.
The boiler grant comes from a new fund set up by Swale’s new coalition administration, using the council’s cash reserves for the public benefit by helping one-off local community projects.
“Faversham Pools is delighted to confirm that it will be a recipient of Swale Borough Council’s Special Projects Fund,” says the Pools’ marketing and funding officer Marylka Gowlland. “This is the first project from this fund to be allocated to Faversham and the Pools trustees are hugely grateful for such a generous grant.”
Swale’s contribution means the rest of the scheme’s costs should now be available from national funders Sports England Community Asset Fund and Viridor Credits Scheme.
Cllr Roger Truelove, Swale leader and cabinet member for finance, said: “I am pleased that we can help Faversham in this way. I know there has been a lot of local fund raising and the Faversham local councillors have spoken strongly in favour.”
Photo by Poppy Boorman