Returning to Hereford

As many of you may have seen, last week Halo confirmed that the Hereford Leisure Pool will be re-opening the week commencing the 17th May. We have been working diligently with Halo on the return to Hereford pool after it closing in February last year and are really excited to be able to return to the pool and increasing the swimming programme that we can offer to members, especially the long awaited return of Water Polo, which hasn't been possible at other sites during this time.

In the coming weeks, we will be issuing the new look training schedule, which will be a little different to the last time we were in Hereford, due to new arrangements from Halo on club swimming hours. However, we are really pleased and looking forward to being able to provide increased capacity and training times for the vast majority of swimmers.

As we return to Hereford, we will be reverting back to the training fees that previously applied, all of which are available on the club website here. These fees will be operational from 1st June onwards, so please ensure that all standing orders are checked and amended as appropriate before this date.

Finance & Volunteers

As we all know, the last 12 months have been incredibly difficult for everyone and volunteer run clubs have been no different. We have been very lucky and feel very humble at the support from members over the last twelve months, the majority of whom have managed to continue to support the club financially. We have always recognised that this isn't possible for everyone, so any contribution has been really appreciated, but not mandated. Due to this support, we have been able to maintain the team of two professional coaches; who have been excellent at providing land-training sessions for all swimmers during lockdown and keeping the members motivated and engaged with the club.

However, as the pools re-open, we face a significant financial challenge, with pool hire costs now meaning that our outgoings are significantly higher than our income; largely due to the reduction in the number of swimmers. Whilst we believe we are well prepared for this in the short to medium term, this would not be a sustainable position for any organisation. The best way of reversing this situation is by increasing membership numbers again, so please play your part in the success of the club and ensure that anyone you know who might be thinking of joining gets in touch.

The same is true for volunteers as well and we are in desperate need for additional people to step forward and provide help in various roles. Further information on what it means to be a volunteer can be found here and please email myself if you can provided help in any way. Any help, no matter how big or small is highly appreciated and critical in any volunteer organsiation. It goes without saying, without volunteers, we simply would not be able to provide opportunities for our swimmers.

Returning to the Club

We know that for many, the closure of the Hereford Leisure Pool meant that you took the tough decision to stop swimming. However, with the fantastic news that the pool is re-opening, we hope that as many people as possible will see this as the perfect opportunity to return to the club and get in the water again. Please email the club secretary if you are wishing to return, as some additional steps will need to be taken, such as membership renewal, ASA membership, and Covid health declaration forms to be completed.

Joining the Club

If you, or if you know of someone, who would like to join the swimming club, we would be delighted to hear from you. We are now running trials again in Leominster and Ross and are also now able to book trials for the return at Hereford. Please email the club secretary to arrange a trial.

Kind regards,

James Cockroft

Chairman

City of Hereford Swimming Club

james.cockroft@herefordswimming.club