Chipping Norton Lido pulls pool fundraiser amid concerns

There is currently no slide at Chipping Norton Lido after the old one deteriorated when it wasn't being used during the pandemic and broke.

Since 2004 the open air pool has been run by a voluntary committee of trustees and a team of employees, with no public funding other than a small annual grant from the Town Council.

Even under normal circumstances they would struggle to raise the estimated £4,000 cost of a new slide.

However, the Trustees say that due to soaring energy bills the future of the pool is currently in jeopardy and top priority is to ensure it survives this crisis.

Luke Froude, who had fond memories of playing on the slide as a child and later being a lifeguard at the pool, organised a Go Fund Me appeal after he and a group of friends visited the Lido and found the slide out of action.

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But the appeal has now been withdrawn and arrangements are being made for all donations to be refunded.

Chipping Norton Lido published a statement on its website: "This former much-loved feature of Chippy Lido was initially a victim of the Covid-19 restrictions but, unfortunately, bringing it back post-pandemic isn’t as simple as having sufficient funds to buy a new slide or refurbish the old one.

"Updated advice from the Health and Safety Executive makes the safe operation of water slides much more complex and staff-intensive than in the past.

"In short, the new UK standards for slides are so onerous that the majority of suppliers have currently stopped selling domestic and public slides."

But it went on to say another factor is the current cost of running the facility.

It said: "To give you one example, our gas bill alone so far this season is already twice the cost of last year.

"The future of the pool is at stake and we feel that our primary focus should be on keeping the pool open for the benefit of current and future residents.

"For multiple reasons, therefore, we are not able to reinstate the slide in the short term."

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The Trustees thanked Mr Froude "for his initiative and generosity in proposing the slide fundraiser".

"The response to his social media posts confirm that customers do still miss the slide and would like to see it restored," they said.

The Trustees said they hoped "at some point in the future" a new slide would be financially and operationally viable and they would consult with the community.