Wigton Baths Trust under threat due to rising gas prices

Wigton Baths Trust, a registered charity, has been a huge part of the local community since it was built in 1901.

Recently, Cumberland Council successfully bid for over £600,000 of funding as part of the Swimming Pool Support Fund (SPSF) organised by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

In phase one of that funding, Wigton Baths Trust received £23,000, before receiving £47,000 in phase two, having applied for £90,000.

Children have been enjoying 10p swim sessions during the Easter holidays (Image: Jimmy Moorhouse)

Trust members at the pool suggested that they were very thankful to Cumberland Council in supporting their bids to the SPSF, but more money is needed to complete this project to help Wigton Baths become more sustainable.

The cost of living crisis has seen their gas prices increase from £900 a month to over £3400 a month, and now the trust are appealing for help, in the form of donations, volunteers and fundraising initiatives to ensure that the pool can continue to serve the community.

Money raised would go towards tiling interior walls of the pool, which would in turn insulate the building better and ensure that the heat from the pool doesn’t escape as easily.

Around 10 years ago, the community swimming pool nearly went under when financial cutbacks by the council threatened closure, but the community rallied  tokeep it open.

Wigton Baths Trust are appealing for help in any way that the community can provide it (Image: Jimmy Moorhouse)

A fundraiser will be set up in the coming weeks to help get the community on board, while 10p sessions continue to attract local kids during the holidays.

Members of the trust, which was set up nine years ago and is run entirely by five busy volunteers, are confident that these changes would reduce the pool’s significant gas bills, and are now imploring the public to help however they can, by emailing wbtchair@gmail.com

Trust member Jo Wolloff said: "Wigton Baths Trust is run by the community and is for the community. We are just trying to continue to provide swimming for everybody for the area, in the way that it was first set up by the Banks family."