Newsletter May 2021 -

Welcome to our latest newsletter

We're really looking forward to seeing you all at the pool in the very near future. The committee and volunteers are working hard to get us open, read on to find out about the progress made.

As we write this newsletter the government appear to be on track to drop the requirement for all social distancing as of the 21st June. We’re planning to formally open the pool on the weekend after, watch this space for our opening ceremony plans and details of the day. In order to get the pool open the following must be achieved:-

completion of the pool works currently underway
site painting and refurbishment
recruitment and training of lifeguards
a myriad of other administration and organisational tasks

Our volunteers have already begun the task of site refurbishment with the beach hut area prepped and painted and work underway to repaint the changing rooms. The major pool works are keeping us from attacking the pool surround and decks but work will commence on these in June. It is going to be tight and we’re going to need many hands to help us prepare and paint the surrounds and walls. If you haven’t already registered as a volunteer, please take the time to do so. Thanks to all of the volunteers who have helped out so far and especially to our coordinators Tony and Lisa.

We are also in the process of recruiting and training lifeguards but always need more. If you are a trained lifeguard or know anybody who may be interested please let us know as soon as possible.

This year we have commissioned a major set of engineering works around the pool in order to put right damage and erosion that has now reached a critical point.

The Sea Wall Parapet

The sea wall parapet soaks up a large portion of the force from the waves breaking over the pool and also acts to deflect as much debris as possible. Sadly this role comes with a price and given its location, it’s nigh on impossible to protect it from damage. Year on year we patch it up and replace the railings as they are knocked off. This year we took the decision to strip and rebuild large sections of the parapet which had become damaged beyond easy repair. It also allowed us to fully inspect the entire structure and assess future repair requirements. The good news is that the wall is in relatively good shape although we have encountered areas where the supporting steels have suffered bacterial corrosion. The wall will soon be repainted and all of the railings replaced, this will make a huge cosmetic difference and also reduce our repair requirements in the coming years.

The Pool Interior

We’ve addressed two areas of concern within the pool itself in the northwestern corner. These areas show render falling off the wall and exposing the underlying concrete. The first repair was straightforward as planned but the second has exposed a huge can of worms as we have an area of voiding that has allowed seawater into the structure which has compromised the interior concrete. We are looking into this right now and believe we have a solution but it is likely going to increase the cost of our repairs. We’d like to draw your attention to the fundraising section of this newsletter. Anything you can do to help is appreciated.

These works are planned to be complete by the end of May. We hope you understand how difficult it has been for our team to juggle the assessment and commissioning of these in parallel with the pandemic environment. We also hope it demonstrates our commitment to keep this pool operational for many years to come.

As a Community Interest Company we are somewhat hampered in our ability to fund raise as many organisations and trusts will only give to those with charitable status. As a result we consulted and then took action to move Shoalstone Pool CIC into a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). This will give us charitable status and allow us to cast our fundraising net much further and wider. More importantly we will not become liable for corporation tax as we are at present. We’ve completed all the necessary forms and resolutions and the next step is to place the application with the Charity Commission.

This will change our management structure from a director led organisation to one run by trustees and a membership. As part of this work we have formally merged with the Friends of Shoalstone Pool to become a single organisation. This includes us taking responsibility for a new membership scheme that we will be launching in the near future.

Hello and Goodbye

We’d like to welcome Kim Worts to the team who is joining us to help drive our fundraising. This is becoming ever more critical as we properly understand the civil engineering and maintenance issues we need to solve to keep the pool viable. An equally warm welcome to Lisa Money who has taken on the role of volunteer co-ordinator and been thrown in the literal deep end helping manage our painting activities.

A fond farewell to Susan Laurie who has stepped down from the committee to focus upon building a new business in the Brixham area. We wish Susan all the best and thank her for the help and support as our representative from Brixham Town Council.

The pandemic has caused a seed change in how we deal with money in personal transactions. We’re increasingly turning to electronic means for payments and cash is becoming a fond memory. Shoalstone Seawater Pool has relied upon cash donations for many years but now we are changing with the times and are able to take online payments.

When we open this year you’ll see signage around the pool with QR codes linking to our payment system. We’re looking at accepting card payments as well and are targeting ourselves with an increase in poolside donations.

Why not give it a try yourself? We need donations to help us fund the works underway and also to pay for the lifeguards and our operational costs.

Simply scan the QR code above or click here to help us out.

We’re always keen to hear from you on any matter concerning the pool be it fundraising ideas, offers for help or anything that we may not have thought of. Please feel free to get in touch via our email address info@shoalstonepool.com or phone Dave on 07799 414702.

Read our previous newsletter

Our previous newsletter can be viewed here

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Contact Us

Shoalstone Pool, Berry Head Road, Brixham,TQ5 9FT

Further Information

We are always keen to hear your views and feedback. If you have something to tell us please do get in touch. New Volunteers are always welcome. We’re busy maintaining and improving the pool all year round.