Next public meeting of the Pool Users Group is on Thursday 13th of February at 7pm in Fellows Court Community Centre which is on the corner of Kent St and How St in the estate opposite the pool. More details of this meeting nearer the time. (Meetings ongoing on 2nd Thursday of each month).

Some members of the Haggerston Trust have suggested that the activities in Haggerston Community Centre could be moved into Haggerston Pool as part of the local estate development. This would release a large amount of capital funding towards renovating the pool building and some revenue subsidy for the pool. The idea is that the community centre space could be used to increase the size of the new development and so release funding for the pool. The appointment of a housing association to manage the estate development is taking place this month, so this is an idea at a very early stage.

The contract for writing the Business Plan, funded by Shoreditch New Deal (ShOW), looking at options for the pool, has been awarded to Strategic Leisure who are based in Manchester. They are using half the available funding to produce an initial viability plan and will be talking to interested parties and groups in the time before they present their report in April.

The Council have started the short term work on the pool. There is currently scaffolding up outside the building and the immediate work is being done to the roof, clearing gutters and rubbish and making the building secure.

Representatives from 6 of the pool campaigns around London met with the London representative of Sport England to talk about swimming provision in London and our campaigns. We have decided to launch the London Pools Campaign to highlight the closure of pools around London and loss of facilities. We're going to link this to the government's recent announcement of its plans to combat what they call the 'Couch Potato Culture' (see http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/page6873.asp) by increasing participation in sport.

There have been various rumours that Iron Monger Row Baths near Old St are closing. According to Aquaterra who are contracted to run the swimming pools in Islington this was a rumour aired by participants in the council by-election in the area. Aqauterra say they have just signed a renewed contract with Islington Council to run their swimming pools for 10 years and have no plans to close any of these pools.

Meanwhile it seems York Hall Baths near Bethnal Green are to close. Tower Hamlets are planning a large new facility at Mile End funded by the lottery. Sounds familiar?