News
From CPT
CLEVELAND POOLS : VOLUNTEERS WANTED - Take the plunge!
The current position is that, as you may be aware, we have been fortunate in gaining a significant grant from English Heritage and generous donations from the Duke of Cornwall's Benevolent Fund and the Trevor Osborne Property Group to help to pay for the Feasibility studies. A project architect was appointed last year and project engineers (Integral) have been appointed to work on the technical brief. A robust bid including a Business Plan is critical if the Alliance is to have any chance of being awarded further funding from English Heritage, but a key intermediate step is to obtain planning permission.
Meanwhile, in this key developmental period we do need some skilled volunteers! Volunteer roles could range from occasional volunteering to more regular involvement and, potentially, a trustee role, depending on the level of interest and involvement. The timescale for involvement could range from a few months to some years.
In a nutshell, we need the following skills - but if you have other skills that you could offer, do please let us know.
Project Organiser
The Cleveland Pools Trust needs a volunteer project organiser (or the role could be split between two or possibly three volunteers with complementary skills). The project organiser will assist with the adaptation of the 19th century open air swimming pools in order to bring them back into use whilst maintaining their links with the past. The pools are listed Grade II* so their position as the oldest public open air pool in the country and their link with the history of outdoor swimming must be maintained.
Experience of project management or project co-ordination is essential, particularly with reference to capital projects. This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced person to develop their experience while they are not currently employed in a paid role, as it will be a valuable contribution to a C.V.
Auditor
The Trust needs a volunteer auditor who can audit the accounts of the Trust. An audit provides an independent evaluation of how a Board is performing financially, through proving the accuracy of their financial statements. This transparency also adds credibility to the Board, assuring interested parties (funders, beneficiaries, regulators, volunteers, community etc) that financial management is aligned with Board objectives as outlined in the governing document.A recognised appropriate professional qualification is needed which implies a thorough knowledge of the principles, procedures and practices of accounting and financial records and transaction. A current licence to practice in this country and relevant experience is also needed - this could suit a retired accountant/auditor.
Treasurer/Financial Planner
The Trust needs a volunteer treasurer/financial planner. The overall role of the volunteer treasurer is to maintain an overview of the financial position and oversight of the accounts, including keeping a watching brief on the content and structure of the books to ensure that appropriate postings are made. (Acknowledging that there is a subtle difference in the way in which incoming funds are treated by Tax Department relative to their source)
This role will involve an element of fundraising or at the very least the identification of suitable sources of funding and will be part of the fundraising team. The Treasurer will contribute to drawing up documentation which can be used in all funding applications, the main difference between applications being contained in the covering letters and making sure that everything is aligned to make it fulfil, as far as is possible, the aims of the funding body. Financial qualifications and experience and some experience of charity finance and fundraising are important.
Fund Raisers
The Trust needs volunteer fund raisers to generate funding for the Cleveland Pools project from local sources in Bath and the wider area by means of street collections in appropriate locations and attendance at a range of local events using display material and information. An indicative initial programme of relevant events is in preparation. Volunteer fundraisers will be asked to develop that forward programme and to contribute their own ideas about further local fund raising activity.
The time commitment could vary depending on the number of volunteer fund raisers who are available but the largest number of local events take place at weekends during the May-September period during each year.It is not intended that volunteer fund raisers operate on their own – rather a small team basis is proposed as being in the best interest of volunteer fund raisers.Some experience of community based fund raising is essential.
Please do circulate this request for volunteers among your own networks if that is appropriate and okay with you.
Further information can be supplied on request.
Linda Watts, lindawatts@myway.com.
Cleveland Pools on Radio 4
The Cleveland Pools were featured in Radio 4's iPM on 12 September, 2009 with Janice Dreisbach asking how many people really want to swim in unheated water. Catch it here on iPlayer (14.45 minutes in).
Heritage Open Days, 2009
The Pools were again open for the Heritage Open Days, as recorded by The Chronicle: Back to the future at Cleveland Baths.
Bath Chronicle, 24 June, 2009
2012 opening date hope for city's historic outdoor pool
JUNE, 2009 UPDATE
Bath landmarks on heritage risk list Bath Chronicle, 23 June, 2009
You no doubt heard or saw last week that the Cleveland Baths are still on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk register. This will not be a great surprise to you as nothing much has happened to stop their decay since the list was published a year ago in summer 2008! Some graffiti vandals have again left their marks which is infuriating and dispiriting.
A huge thank you to all those of you who nominated CPT and to those who shopped in Waitrose back in April and put your green tokens in the Cleveland Pools Trust slot. Waitrose have now donated £330 to the Trust which was an unbelievably easy way to make money while shopping. By the way, you are allowed to fill in the forms nominating CPT again for a future fund-raising opportunity. Keep your eyes skinned for other stores' fund-raising opportunities and nominate CPT.
We still meet with representatives of the Cleveland Pools Alliance (Prince's Regeneration Trust and the Trevor Osborne Group) from time to time but the lease issue is still being debated by the lawyers. As you can imagine, it is frustrating after our five years of campaigning still not to be able to show people what we are trying to save. Hopefully we shall be able to open the Pools for the Civic Trust's Heritage Open Days on the afternoons of 11th- 13th September as previously. Please put the dates in your diaries as we shall, as before, need volunteers to act as stewards and to sell raffle tickets etc.
Before that CPT are having a table at Percy Community Centre's Street Party in New King Street on Saturday 8th August. Any bright ideas for fun activities that we can provide with a watery feel?
Another fund-raising date will be the Bath Charities Annual Fair at the Guildhall which has moved this year to Saturday 7th November, 10am - 2pm. Again, offers to help man the stall and/or to donate good quality items to sell will be gratefully received.
Many thanks for your messages of support and interest and do keep them coming, please. We should like to get a group of swimmers together to help with the next stage of planning so if you would like to get involved to discuss the options, please do get in touch.
INSIDE OUT
BBC1 7.30 pm Wednesday, 12th January, 2008. Watch Inside Out and find out what the BBC has to say about the Cleveland Pools.
CHRISTMAS 2008
We would all like to thank everyone for their support during 2008 which has been a difficult year. Hopefully things will start to really move in 2009 because the plans are to re-open the pools in 2010. Please keep in touch and do let us know just what you want to see on the site and what kind of swimming you are interested in well before the plans are too far advanced. Merry Christmas.
HERITAGE INSPECTORS.
This week sees the visit to Bath of representatives from UNESCO who will be visiting to see just what we are doing to deserve our World Heritage status. Although the members of the Trust have not been invited to meet the inspectors and they will not have time in their schedule to visit the Cleveland Pools, we are assured that those people who do have access will bring the situation at the Pools to the fore and an information pack has been prepared for the visitors to take away with them. JMD
Booklet
1st November, 2008. We have now received more supplies of the 'Short History of the Cleveland Pools'. This is a 30 page, A6, full colour booklet which can be obtained from: Old Bank Antiques, London Road, Bath, and Goodbuy Books, North Parade, Bath, as well as various Heritage Shops. Copies can also be obtained by post from the Trust's registered office at 31 Saffron Court, BA1 6DF. Price - that essential piece of information - £5.00 by post; £4.50 from a retailer. Payments and Donations can now be made using PayPal: cptmoney.
Bath Charities Annual Fair
The Christmas Fair raised £251.60. Thank you everyone.
Trust bid moves forward
As people will remember, the B&NES executive member with responsibility for Property and Resources decided just before Christmas, 2007 that the Pools were to be put back on the market. This eventually happened in the summer of 2008 and bids had to be submitted by September 18th.
Finally, after four years of campaigning, we hope that there is a glimmer of light shining through. Led by the Princes Regeneration Trust, the Cleveland Pools Trust has teamed up with the Trevor Osbourne Property Group to form the Cleveland Pools Alliance.
Together a joint bid to the Council was agreed and submitted by the deadline. The Council expressed interest in the bid and talks are taking place to see if the joint vision is acceptable to them.
Unfortunately, the newspapers have given the impression that the PRT have purchased the Pools. This is not the case. Money will have to be raised by the usual routes, funding applications, sponsorship, donations but hopefully not too many jumble sales !
From here on this is where you all come in!! We have saved the Pools from being sold to the highest bidder (so far) and from demolition but unfortunately not from vandalism but we cannot co-ordinate the next stage of the project without your help.
We need new, energetic and enthusiastic volunteers, especially from the swimming fraternity, so that your views are included at the start of this enormous challenge. Similarly, we need local people to be involved at the beginning so that your concerns are included early on.
Thank you.
POOLS TRUST MAKES A BIG SPLASH ON THE INTERNET
Bath Chronicle, 3 April, 2008
Council to re-market Cleveland Pools
21.05.08 Brooks, Chartered Surveyors are to re-market the pools.
December 2007
A decision has been made by Cllr Hanney that the Former Cleveland Baths will be put on the open market for disposal. He feels that this is the most appropriate way forward to address the issues surrounding the property, and to provide the Council with a value benchmark upon which to assess all offers. By the Council placing the Baths on the market, the Friends are at liberty to develop their proposal further and to put forward a bid which will be considered alongside other bids. The Council will be looking for innovative uses and schemes for the site that recognise the listed and heritage status and will consider all bids they receive on this basis. The property will be placed with external agents for marketing purposes.
