A group is asking for help in a public vote to secure vital funds which would see crucial improvements made to a community pool.
Crockerne Pool Community Support Group (CPCSG) has applied for a grant of £21,000 from the Aviva Community Fund Scheme to convert the indoor summer pool at Crockerne Primary School into a year-round facility.
The group, made up of parents and nearby villagers has been fundraising since 2016 to replace the aging pool building’s roof, which is no longer fit for purpose, with a new structure made of modern materials which would allow people to swim throughout the year.
The national scheme sees community projects vie for funding via a public vote, with the most popular projects then put before a panel of judges.
The group has so far raised £45,000 of the £80,000 needed for the renovations, but the additional funds from the competition would see the project take one giant leap toward becoming a reality.
If the bid is successful the group would see to have the works completed by 2020.
In an urgent online plea to voters the CPCSG said: “The additional Aviva funding will enable us to provide an all-year swimming facility for the local population including the elderly and physically disabled. We have already raised a significant amount of money by tireless fund raising but we cannot realistically raise the extra 21,600 pounds needed to complete the project in the timescales necessary.
“It’s simply a bridge too far.”
The project has so far received more than 3,000 votes, with 19 days left of voting.
The pool was built in the 1960s after a young boy drowned in the River Avon, which runs through the village.
Group chairman Peter Stanley told the Times: “The pool was built by the local community and has always had the support of the local community.
“We hope people will vote for it as it’s an important development for the area. There’s a need for people to swim and it’s great for the wellbeing of the young and the old.”
For more information, or to vote, visit www.community-fund.aviva.co.uk/voting/project/view/4-3315
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