New Year, New Look
It’s a New Year and always an apt time for a fresh start. The Waterside Pool in Ryde, part of the Waterside Community Trust, has used the natural turning of the year for a fresh new look too and rebrand. Amongst these changes is also that of the Trust itself, becoming a registered charity. Under the constitution of a charity they have a rotating Chairman each year following their year end. The Chairman of the Trustees for 2017/18 is Keith Gentleman.
2018 marks the start of substantial changes for the pool making it into a diverse centre of excellence with the commencement of it’s new studio, which will offer a variety of fitness and wellbeing classes alongside the pool timetable. The Trust has appointed the Christopher Scott Partnership to take the project forward.
The pool currently offers a multitude of different classes including: Fun and Casual Swim Sessions, Isle of Wight Resident Swims, Lane Swims, Water Workout, Parent and Toddler Sessions, Blind Society Swim Sessions, Rookie Lifeguards, Synchronised Swimming, Under Water Hockey, Squads, Cormorants Club, Swim Party Hour, Group / Private Child or Adult Lessons and School Lessons.
Training is also a tremendously successful part of what takes place at the Waterside Pool. Many lifeguarding and swimming teacher courses are held drawing candidates from the mainland as well as from the Island. This is something that Todd Miller, General Manager, hopes to encourage even more, to become a training centre hub in these specific disciplines.
The Waterside is also launching an exciting new event called the “Mile for March” at the start of January, whereby they will be challenging customers to train and swim a mile (64 lengths) in the pool. To sign up for the challenge customers must purchase a three month membership, whereupon a swim training plan will be devised for them by one of the instructors in order to train safely for the challenge over the coming months. If customers would like to use their challenge to raise money for the pool, sponsorship forms will also be available on sign up. Businesses will also be welcome if they would like their staff to use the event as a team building exercise.
