Welcome to the Haggerston Pool Information Page

On this page : Finances, Campaign, Select Committee, Healthy Living Centre,
User Groups , Vision, The Way Forward

	Haggerston Pool has been closed since February 2000. Despite a big community campaign to pressurise Hackney Council into reopening it, nothing has happened. The pool building is deteriorating and, despite its Grade II listed building status, is on the Council's list for disposals. What can be done? The tenants and residents groups, the local politicians, Shoreditch New Deal and the Council would all like the pool to be reopened as a pool. The argument is over the funding.
Finances
To reopen the pool we need to find : At least £6 million to repair the building £200,000 each year to subsidise the cost of running a swimming pool We also need to sort out the ownership of the building. To secure finances the building would have to be on a long lease to the Haggerston Pool Trust. Hackney Council say they have absolutely no money to put into repairing and running Haggerston Pool. This does not go down well with local residents who are very aware that the Council has recently spent millions of pounds rebuilding Clissold Pool in the North of Hackney. It is felt that Clissold pool has been rebuilt at the expense of Haggerston.
Campaign
	A long campaign is being waged, firstly to try to keep the pool open, now to try to get it reopened. A public meeting was held following the pool closure. The Haggerston Pool Community Trust has been set up, and tenants groups and Shoreditch New Deal (now ShOW) have continued to put pressure for the reopening of the pool.
Select Committee
The Government Culture Media and Sport Department held a Select Committee enquiry into swimming called 'Testing the Water; The Sport of Swimming' in December 2001. Carolyn Clarke from Shoreditch New Deal gave evidence about Haggerston Pool. Read the submissions to the Committee: About Haggerston Pool in general About School swimming in Shoreditch Read the evidence to the Committee Read the Government's response to the Committee's findings
Healthy Living Centre
The Pool Users group came up with the idea of having a Healthy Living Centre in the swimming pool building - along the lines of the centre at Bromley by Bow. Shoreditch Our Way took on applying for the funding from the New Opportunities Fund - and this bid is in process now. The original bid focussed on the swimming pool as the hub of a Healthy Living Centre with connections to other projects - like the St Mary's Community Garden. Unfortunately the cost of refurbishing Haggerston pool building could not be accounted for, and to make sure that the Healty Living Centre bid was successful, Shoreditch Our Way have re-worked the plan to centre on Shoreditch Park. Haggerston Pool is still part of the bid, but plays a lesser role.
User Groups
These are all the groups who were using the swimming pool when it was open. If you are part of one of these user groups, we would really like to hear what has happened to your club since Haggerston Pool closed. User Groups Rookie Club Aquajog (and Aqua-woggle) Sol Cohen Youth Project Gymnos Haggerston Swimming Club Our Lady of Good Council Laburnum Boat Club Leaside Christian Fellowship Ty'ga Karate Schools Lee House, Rectory Road, Stoke Newington Randel Cremer Primary School, Bethnal Green St Monica's School, Hoxton Square London Fields Primary School, Westgate St St John of Jerusalem St Paul's and St Michael's, Pownall Road St Mary's William Pattern, Stoke Newington Church St Holmleigh School, Dunsmure Road
The Vision
	The Vision Read the pool trust's vision of how the pool could developed.... The Wish List When users of Haggerston Pool heard of threatened closures, they were outraged. Angry comments were made about the incompetent way in which Hackney Council had run the Leisure Centre. Users made reference to simple ways in which Haggerston Pool could be better managed and improved. This snowballed and soon people began fantasizing about what they would like to do with Haggerston Pool if money were no object. The 'Wish List' for Haggerston Pool was born. Users jotted ideas on the notice board and the list below is what they came up with.
The basic structure of the place to be taken care of properly - without cutting corners Good showers Good filters for pool Good secure lockers of various sizes (that return coins) Hooks, good strong ones, that are safe too, in the changing rooms. Hair dryers More use of good lane ropes Improve privacy (for the private user groups) Disabled access Lift to all floors Enclose balcony to make it safer Financial structure for pricing to encourage regular use e.g. pay for three swims in a week and get a free sauna Crèche Towel service. Clear publication of costs Parking Free swim with exercise classes to encourage more exercise. To reopen some of the baths To create a useful community orientated space Well planned reception area Cold water fountain in the lounge area Shop selling sports equipment Café facilities upstairs as well as (if not, instead of) downstairs The café could also be open to the public beyond the pool The basic structure of the place to be taken care of properly - without cutting corners The café could also be open to the public beyond the pool Users stimulating demand for café services, increasing quality and enabling competitive pricing. It would also generate interest in Haggerston as a centre Traditional & alternative breakfasts for swimmers on the way to work Wholefood and cheap nutritious lunches (like the Cherry Orchard off Roman Rd) Weekend 'special meals' cooked by different multicultural groups in this area A place to go and eat on Saturday evenings (like Sutton House) 'Fiesta' occasions - links to the idea of a hall to hire for events Open air eating area- roof space and the green area to the west of the pool (neglected council land?) Information centre for help in structuring personal health and fitness programmes An art gallery, exhibition area Make the place visually attractive and aesthetically pleasing in a way requiring low maintenance Re-tiling of the floors in the changing rooms and pool-side so they are; non-slip, gently heated underfoot, easily cleaned and maintained, in nice colours Brighter colour scheme Music by pool To develop a centre to promote healthy living in an integrated way, i.e. including diet, exercise, medicine and environment, and not exclusively just to restrictive forms of exercise and leisure Sports hall with multi-functions Hall - for generating money e.g. to hire, line dancing, parties with licensed bar Open air area to sunbathe - like the Oasis Pool in Camden. Even have part of the roof reclining in hot weather Aromatherapy baths - with music Sauna and steam room, with large area to relax (along the lines of Kings Hall) with better facilities e.g. toilets Turkish baths and massage (aromatherapy massage) Sports physiotherapy and massage service available Good fitness instruction available for gym Health suite with sauna, steam room sun beds, lounge beds and beautician Develop eco-friendly practices from things like solar heating to the use of biodegradable chemicals Investigating the chance of changing to a brine pool rather than chlorine A greenhouse A community garden linked to the centre
The Way Forward