How a York community came together for New Earswick's pool

The pool has been in the news because plans have been submitted to upgrade the facility, including building a first-floor extension, creating new changing facilities and adding solar panels to the roof.

More than 30 people have written to the council to support the plan.

Indeed, the local community had to get behind the pool when it was threatened with closure.

The pool is now run by the community-led charity Friends of New Earswick Swimming Pool (FoNESP) which is fundraising to raise £250,000 to replace failing boilers, fix a leaking roof and update changing rooms.

The pool was opened in 1967 by the Rowntree Trust with support from the local community.

Press cutting about the new pool at New Earswick

Children were asked to donate half a crown and villagers joined a “Buy a Brick” scheme in order to help finance the project.

Readers' memories

Readers have been sharing their memories in our nostalgia group on Facebook, Why We Love York - Memories.

David Wreglesworth posted: "To get this built, the village had to raise a huge contribution. Together with other lads in our street we sold firewood to raise funds. I can tell you that there wasn't a field for miles that had any of its wooden fence posts left and some parents came home to find that furniture had disappeared.

"We spent hours chopping and sawing everything up to kindling size. Such was our success that the local shopkeeper turned up at school to complain about his lost business.

"The headmaster - Mr Albert Hall (yes really!) told us that we must cease in our efforts. We had raised a small fortune and the target was met. Sadly, we moved out of the village and have never set foot inside it!"

Gill Lumley-Holmes was another fundraiser: "Spent all my school years at Joseph Rowntree's raising money for this pool and then left so never actually went in it!"

Wendy Johnson posted: "I too helped raise money (remember the toffee in cake cases?). I did manage to swim in the pool and my children learned to swim there. Josh (my youngest)'s dad was a swim coach there (Brian Pexton)."

Sean McCartney is one of many people in York who enjoyed the pool. "I loved the pool and, thanks to going with school as well as in my own time, I'm well prepared to save any number of rubber bricks (as long as I have my pyjamas on)!"

Today, the pool is now a much-used community resource, hired out to a range of swimming schools and clubs - building on its successful campaign to keep it open after threatened closure.

FLASHBACK: Gill Barker, Committee member at the New Earswick Swimming Club with a petition against its closure. Picture Frank Dwyer.

Future of the pool

The planning application's Design and Access Statement to councillors says the FoNESP needs its plan approved so it can "maintain the services of the swimming pool for the community".

To see to full application (ref: 24/01298/FUL) visit: planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online.

For more public notices, check The Press daily and online at: publicnoticeportal.uk/york-press.

Share your memories

For more old photos of York, do visit the city council's Explore York archive (images.exploreyork.org.uk).

If you love looking at old photos of York, make sure to buy The Press every Wednesday for our weekly nostalgia supplement and join us in our Facebook group, Why We Love York - Memories. Join us at www.facebook.com/groups/yorknostalgia/.