Birtley Community Pool has re-opened after Gateshead Council closed the facility due to lack of funding. The community of Birtley pulled together to raise funds to create it a not-for-profit ran centre.
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00:00Berkley Community Pool has officially reopened to the public after its closure in the summer of 2023.
00:06Volunteers set up the Berkley Community Aquatic Centre in July last year and raised money to reopen it as a not-for-profit venture since Gateshead Council closed the facility after saying they could not afford to keep it running.
00:18The pool's reopening has been backed with a ÂŁ272,000 grant from the Government's Community Ownership Fund, a grant from Sport England and over ÂŁ20,000 in crowdfunding donations.
00:29Matthew Grant, Treasurer of the Berkley Community Aquatic Centre, told the LDRC that it's a huge achievement to have reached this point.
00:37The pool had been open for 49 years before its closure last year and locals were extremely saddened at the news of its closure, with worries of where local children would go to attend swimming lessons.
00:48Thankfully, the pool officially reopened on Monday 16th September and locals are thrilled to see the place back up and running and hope to see it be used by many more generations to come.