Take a Dip with a Fortysomething
Cottenham Swimming Pool nestling in the grounds of CVC behind that big grey fence is now well into its roaring forties. Well, I cannot quite imagine a swimming pool roaring but middle-age spread is yet to set in and the Pool committee is readying itself for the coming season.
As ever, we’ll need a strong team of qualified lifeguards to keep everyone swimmingly safe and volunteers to take the gate money and assist with the phone if there’s ever an emergency. Usual email address for enquiries or offers of help.
We’re hoping for a drier season this year, at least as far as the weather goes. When the weather lets us down, there are only a very few hardcore swimmers who take the plunge. But, when the weather’s fine, there is no nicer place to be than Cottenham’s little oasis.
We had some very generous support last year from the Jenny Kay Memorial Fund, Accio Marquees, Cottenham Newsletter, the Feast Committee, some of the local Fen Edge Parish Councils (Cottenham, Landbeach, Rampton, and Willingham), and from Fun Runners and Feast participants, our cake bakers, as well as you the swimmers, of course. Those donations, together with gate takings, have covered the maintenance and lifeguarding bills for the 2007 season and paid for the replacement of the water pump. So, once again, many thanks to our supporters.
Your support, both as a volunteer helper and financially, is needed now more than ever. Swimming pools rarely run at a profit, even indoor pools that are not affected by the changing weather survive only by supplementing their income with food and drink sales and optional extras such as sunbeds and saunas. Unfortunately, as a volunteer-run pool we cannot offer anything so grand. But, we can offer an escape and a chance to get fit with a sprightly forty-something.
We are now organising lifeguards and a timetable for the 2008 season and hope to begin swimming at the second May Bank Holiday weekend. So make sure you dig out your swimming kit from your summer drawer in plenty of time and if you or your company would like to support the Cottenham Pool this year, please get in touch.