A MASSIVE £10,000 fundraising drive has been launched by Woodrow First School so children can continue to learn the vital skill of swimming.
The Longdon Close school is one of only a few in all of Worcestershire to have its own swimming pool.
And although it’s still perfectly safe to use, it’s recognised that a planned series of upgrades will be needed if it’s going to carry on helping children in the future.
“We’re looking at a programme of improvements to make sure this fantastic facility will be there for years to come,” said headteacher Richard Kieran.
“The last thing we want is to see it close.
“People have already been incredibly generous and it would be great if we could get sponsorship or a partnership from a local company to help us.”
Local residents have already started to rally round with £790 donated in just one week plus £257 from the school’s own Urban Strides street dance day, putting the school one tenth of the way there already.
The money will be used to buy a new liner and get the ball rolling for the installation of a new boiler in the future.
“There was a time when schools used to get funding for things like swimming but those days have gone and we have had to use our own budget, but that can’t continue,” said Richard.
“We’ve done the best we can to keep it going to make sure children now and in the future can get a swimming entitlement.
“It’s a fantastic asset for the school and we don’t want to lose it.”
The pool has helped nearly 3,000 children at Woodrow First and Nursery to learn to swim over the last 50 years.
It has also been enjoyed by other schools including the local special school and by community groups such as Brownies and Babyswim.
The ability to swim is recognised as a vital life skill for people to have.
To help support the Woodrow First School swimming campaign to ensure future generations of children learn to swim, visit their Just Giving page at:
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/woodrowpool .
