THERE have been celebrations as a popular city swimming pool has reached a milestone anniversary.
Lower Wick Swimming Pool, also known as Worcester Citizens' Swimming Pool, has kicked off a year of events marking 50 years since the pool opened.
The Lower Wick pool emerged from the determined efforts of a group called Worcester Citizens Swimming Bath Association.
The group was set up in 1962 by the residents of Worcester with the aim of raising funds to build Worcester’s first indoor swimming pool.
The association raised £30,000 - equivalent to around £500,000 today - through public donations raffles and coffee mornings. Further grants were obtained from the West Midlands Sports Council, Hereford and Worcester County Council and Worcester City Council.
The original site for the pool was Cripplegate Park but as those were deemed unsuitable the Lower Wick site emerged.
Dairy farmer John Bennett – son of a former mayor – generously donated land at Lower Wick on a 99-year peppercorn rent with the pool water heater ingeniously powered by methane gas from his cows.
The pool was opened to the public in 1974.
A spokesperson from Worcester Citizens' Swimming Pool said: "Over the 50 years there has been many changes to the pool.
"There has been a fitness gym, health hydro, solarium, sports and massage treatment room, all of which have played their part in the success of the pool.
"Today the pool plays a major role in providing swimming facilities for the residents of Worcester with 14 local schools attending each week, 950 children attending swimming lessons, five aqua aerobic classes, six hours a week for children’s pool parties, 25 hours of public swimming 30 studio classes per week."
Earlier this month deputy mayor Mel Allcott with friends and past associates of the pool from the last 50 years attended a cheese and wine evening - a popular event and fundraiser in the early days of the pool.
Over the next 12 months the swimming pool's event will include a number of events from swimming galas, a family fete and a price rollback day to swimming prices from 1974.
For more details visit lowerwickswimmingpool.co.uk or visit Lowerwick Swimming Pool on Facebook.
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