The next meeting of the Haggerston Pool Campaign is on THURSDAY NOVEMBER 13TH at 6PM at the QUEENSBRIDGE DOCTORS PRACTICE which is on HOLLY ST. We're meeting earlier than usual as the surgery's insurance only lasts till 7:30pm -thanks very much to them for offering us a meeting space. Everyone welcome to the meeting.

We are starting to set up small groups to look at different aspects of getting the pool open - like making the business case, the health case, gaining formal support from schools and youth clubs, tenants associations, criminal justice system, short-term uses, working on press and publicity and looking at environmentally friendly ways of running a pool. These groups are just starting and need more members! If you would like to help with these or any other aspects of the campaign - please come along - or just get in touch.

The Learning Trust (Hackney's separated Education Department) has produced a viability study looking at the possibility of taking on Haggerston pool as part of a City Academy (independent mixed secondary school) planned for the site of Laburnum school. The initial plan as set out by the architects looks very good for the local community. It is proposed that the pool building only be used for activities which could be shared with the community, and includes the renovated pool, large sports hall, dance/studio space, sauna, gym, IT suite and cafe - as well as 2 small caretaker flats at the top of the building where there is a flat at present.

The study says "During the normal school day the facilities would be shared between the academy, other schools, Laburnum Boat Club and the public, with the schools having priority. At other times the facility would be available to the general public".

The Haggerston Pool Community Trust have welcomed the plans - but we have 2 questions for the Council (who have suggested this arrangement) and the Learning Trust, which we have put to them, and have not had answered.
1. Who will pay for the running of the swimming pool outside school hours, at weekends and during holidays?

2. What happens if this plan falls through? The Learning Trust are expecting most of the money to come from the government, and some from a private sponsor. We still need the Council's support in preparing alternative plans for the pool in case the Learning Trust's proposals fall through.

The London Pools Campaign continues to attract attention, particularly in relation to the London Olympic bid. What no one wants to see is the Olympic bid made at the expense of grass roots sport - but this seems to be what is planned. It is reported £340 million is due to be taken from the Sport England fund, and a further £410 million top-skimmed from the Lottery before it even makes it to the Good Causes fund - of which sport is one of six.

The opportunity cost to London's sporting projects of diverting these funds to the Olympics is about £44 million (since 11% of all Lottery sports funding has made its way to the capital). Of that £9 million would be likely to be spent on projects to do with swimming in London. This £9 million could be expected to lever in more funding - leaving the loss to London's pools at about £20 million.

On top of this loss, the money the mayor collects from local Councils is due to rise by about £550 million to contribute to the Olympics - putting further pressure on council leisure and sport spending.

London's pools cannot afford to lose this funding - the capital has lost 7 out of 112 public pools in 10 years (adjusting for pools opening and closing).

Anyone wanting to swim outdoors year round(!) may be interested in Charlton Lido which is not close, but is a beautiful 1930's pool - where it is demonstrated that a good working relationship between a pool user group and the Council is possible. The Council run the lido for 8 weeks during the summer when their takings could be up to £80,000 depending on the weather. The rest of the year the swimming club use the lido in the mornings, providing their own safety cover, buying their own chemicals for the pool and doing basic maintenance of the site. One year they emptied the pool and painted it. The advantage to the council is that the swimming club are looking after the pool for them - they don't have to refill the pool each year, and don't have to provide security. Info about the swimming club from John Duke johnduke699@hotmail.com or Doug Minde 0208 921 8402

Meanwhile Eltham Lido, also in Greenwich, is facing destruction. The Council is now in talks with the Lawn Tennis Association to turn the lido into tennis courts. While local residents would love to see the lido brought back into use, there is also a feeling that the site, surrounded by corrugated iron sheets, has long been an eyesore. The plan by the community ('Splash') to bring the lido back into use was turned down by the Council.
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