https://community-fund.aviva.co.uk/voti…/project/view/4-1369
We are lucky enough to have an above ground Swimming Pool at Barley Close Community Primary School. Unfortunately, it is in a building that is not insulated and therefore can only be used over the warmer months. It also does not have any toilet facilities.
This project is to make significant alterations to the building that will allow use of the pool year round and also provide disabled access toilet facilities within the building itself.
Barley Close is a community school and we are a PTFA (Parents, Teachers and Friends Association) as we believe in being part of the whole community and indeed having the community as part of the school.
With the current austerity measures, a school swimming pool will not attract funding from local government and we recognise this. We also recognise that the pool provides a wide range of benefits to the pupils, family of pupils and local community. Every pupil has the opportunity to learn to swim during their time at the school and hundreds of children have learnt this potentially life saving skill in the pool whilst ensuring that the children get physical exercise and of course lots of enjoyment at the same time. The pool is open to the local community after school and on weekends where possible for a small charge that ensures that the running of the pool itself is self funding.
The FOBC (Friends of Barley Close) PTFA have been fundraising over the past two years to raise the capital to enable this project to be completed and have raised a fantastic thirteen thousand pounds so far through events such as school disco, Circus event, bag packing in supermarkets and most recently ‘Barleyfest’ which was a well attended festival style event with music, stalls, rides and food sellers coinciding with celebrating 50 years of this fantastic community school.
Support from this Aviva community fund would enable us to make this project a reality and in turn benefit students for years to come as well as provide an inclusive venue for the local community to use enhancing the profile of the school within the local area