Lymington Sea Water Centre

Publicity for the Lido would be a good start to increase visitor attendance. I have lived in Bournemouth and Christchurch for over 40yrs and only just found out that the country's oldest Lido with a 90m! length is just around the corner...now looking forward to using it this summer if it opens again

In reference to Rupert's recent comment, we are supportive of your suggestion for volunteers to come forward to get “out on the streets soliciting public option”. Do offer this to the Council. We expect they would be keen to hear from you about any “promotional materials” you can offer. All the ideas that have been put forward in the Slideshows are from community members, not from commercial or business groups but from people like you, who offer their skills and support.



As Mary says, there are many who would like to hear your ideas. Do join the other Stakeholders and add to the Discussion Group so the Town Council and others can read and add their comments, that is why our volunteers have set up this communication opportunity.



You suggest, “station[ing] someone next to the pool at the weekend [to] gather comments”. Why not suggest this to the Council.



We have published all our volunteers' opinions including the product of our stakeholder consultation in the Slideshow (made available on the website), which brought many of their ideas together.



Deadlines are for the Council to decide, they own the facility. The deadline set by the Town Council is 01-Mar-2010 for relevant proposals from the public. It is up to the public to put ideas forward.



We are in contact with the 'Admin' of the “Save the Lymington Sea Water Baths Facebook Group”. Thank you for pointing this out.



We are sorry if you think it discourteous not to sign public responses from the website volunteer team with a single person's name. We provide the choice of a nickname / alias for our website users in Discussion Groups. The use of a full name on any comments is entirely optional. This includes volunteers who are responsible for responding to website comments. For more information relating to personal privacy you can review our Privacy Policy.



I am very glad that you are keen to work with Lymington Community Foundation. If you would like to meet with some of the volunteers on the Sea Water Centre project, you can register as a Stakeholder. We would be glad to introduce you.


Thank you for your continued support.

Enjoyed reading all the comments and certainly think Rupert has a very good insight into the day to day running as he has worked at the baths over three seasons.


Very positive meeting at the baths yesterday (Monday 25th 2010). We are building momentum, hopefully to re-open this year and need to keep this aim very firmly in mind as we move forwards. Very glad to see Barbara Walton is involved. Who hasn't learnt to swim with this inspirational lady!

With regards to market research, I'm not qualified in the science of applied social studies... but is this really necessary? Why don't you start small with a simple survey, get people out on the streets soliciting public option, ask the council if you can put up promotional materials on the pool itself, station someone next to the pool at the weekend and gather comments.



I agree that having professional market research will assist with getting investment of the levels required to bring the facility up to the standards expected however I also believe that having evidence of even a basic attempt will aid your arguments.



Please can you publish on your website the market research that you have carried out as per your previous comments, this will aid the community in knowing whether their opinion has been heard and fed forward in to the viability groups as shown on the slideshow.



Do you have a deadline of when the viability groups are going to publish their findings?



With regards to contacting previous members of staff and a wider audience I suggest you look at the Save the Lymington Sea Water baths Facebook group, I know this site has been promoted on there.



One last point.. as a group working for the community I think it would be courteous for responses from LCF to be signed by a human, not the "Website Manager", e.g. John Doe (on behalf of LCF). We've put our names to our comments, so should the LCF.



I'm keen to work with (not against) the LCF to help achieve the ultimate goal which is the pool reopening and being a success.

In reference to Rupert's comment, Lymington Community Foundation has made a proposal to discuss the ideas, opportunities and solutions in collaboration with local community stakeholders. We are a voluntary, not-for-profit organisation providing a platform for people such as yourself to communicate and discuss ideas with each other.



We have conducted Market Research as defined by the ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market and Social Research, including social and opinion research of a wide audience of stakeholder representatives as listed in the Sea Water Centre slideshow. As yet, our volunteers do not include people with the experience or time available to provide a public opinion survey, systematically gathering and interpreting information about individuals and organisations using statistical and analytical methods of the applied social sciences. Are you such a person?



The availability of this website, commenting facilities, discussion boards and broad local media coverage is demonstration of our attempt to engage with the community. A public meeting was advertised on the front of the Lymington Times held on the 18-Jan-2010. How would you suggest we proceed to further detail comments by townspeople?



We have gained an insight into the financial requirements sufficiently to be able to provide a percentage breakdown of potential investment sources in the slideshow to support the Town Council’s decision making process. Following the deadline for proposal to the Town Council on 01-Mar-2010, we understand that a public exhibition will take place.



We are extremely keen to publish the existing petition on our website. We have and shall continue to solicit it from the petition organisers. Could you make contact with them to assist the process?



The Foundation has been contacted by six previous staff members, who are providing invaluable insights. We have no means of actively contacting other previous staff members, do you? If so, please direct them to Become a Friend on the website and make contact with us. We have made contact with Tinside Lido and Hilsea Lidos to see what can be done.




We are still waiting for any documentation to be shared with us which details previous seasons at the facility. A collection of “summary sheets” would undoubtedly be a goldmine of information for decision makers.



I hope this addresses some, if not all, of your question. You have made some clear comments which I hope will be considered. We very much appreciate your call for the community to get involved and at least provide feedback to help shape the facility to something the wider community want to use.

Just a few comments on the proposals outlined on this website:


- Has anyone performed any market research? I know that the plans are probably at an early stage but theres little point pursuing ideas if there is no financial grounding or local market requirement.



- Has anyone engaged with a wider audience? asked people to complete a survey? held a public exhibition? Whilst I see a handful of comments on this website there doesn't appear to be any further information or publications detailing comments by townspeople. Surely publishing the petition previously signed would be a start.



- Has anyone contacted any previous staff members? Having worked three seasons in the kiosk I know that many of the staff were passionate about the facility and providing the public with a good value, high quality product. Indeed some staff members contacted me regarding changes surrounding Lymington & Pennington Town Council (LTPC) no longer wanting to run the kiosk, at the time I didn't have the personal capital to invest but would have without a doubt invested.



- What about analysis of previous seasons at the facility? Every day a summary sheet was prepared by the kiosk manager and supplied to LPTC detailing takings, ticket breakdown, kiosk takings and weather. If LPTC haven't destroyed this I'm sure it would provide a goldmine of information when analysed.



Unfortunately years of under investment and a lack of imagination on the part of LPTC caused the facility to get to where it is today, a sorry state. I would actively encourage the community to get involved and at least provide feedback to help shape the facility to something the wider community want to use.



The ideas laid out by Lymington Community Foundation are interesting and varied but I would rather encourage one or two great ideas rather than have the site perform lots of half baked functions.



I would support the expansion and reworking of the catering facilities to create a riverside cafe/bistro (focus on good, honest, local food), better poolside facilities, a reworking of the pool to make it a more manageable size with a "beach" style entrance and renewed filtration (e.g. some rather than the none that is there currently).



One point I'm in disagreement with is calling it Lymington Sea Water Center - After years of answering the phone with "Hello, Lymington Sea Water Baths" and then having to explain to people what it actually was (an outdoor pool) I can conclude that anything with the words "Sea Water" in it are very off putting.



If you're looking at a multi function site why not jump on the Olympics band wagon and call it Lymington Aquatics Center (not to be confused with a garden centre)…. or if you're concentrating on just the pool elements Lymington Lido (Case in point: Plymouth Lido), again has anyone reached out to other successful Lidos like Plymouth to see what can be done?

In repsonse to "Anonymous" who commented on 20-Jan-2010 08:57 AM. Lymington Sea Water Centre Discussion Group was created by volunteers from Lymington Community Foundation on 12 Jan-2010 at the request of the Lymington and Pennington Town Council to allow the whole Community to discuss solutions for the Lymington Open Air Sea Water Baths.



Lymington Community Foundation is a non-aligned organisation with no commercial or political interest, run by volunteer members of our community for the sole benefit of the Community in the Lymington area.



Its constitution and Articles of Association are open to the public and is strictly regulated by the CIC Regulator, like a charity.



The Lymington Sea Water Centre project is a collection of many local people’s ideas that volunteers have put into a slideshow. Our community needs people with the expertise to support a sustainable facility including Project Managers offering their skills in the discussion group.
Do you have particular skills, expertise or ideas that can help? We always need more volunteers to respond to comments on the website. Your further ideas are very welcome.

I am a regular visitor to Lymington and was asked to sign the petition to save the Sea Baths. There seemed to be a lot of feeling about this and yet every time I pass the pool there is little happening. It could be a really good facility and I hope many of those who signed the petition speak up on this site. I'll send further thoughts shortly...need lunch!

We were told last September and again twice at meetings this year that several proposals have been looked at in detail by the Council. At the last meeting a lady said that she had submitted another proposal, a 'Plan B'. It would be useful to hear what these ideas might be. It was reported that the cost that the Council have estimated is from £500k to £2.8 million but for what? Is it possible that these ideas - put together over the last year - can be shared with the tax payers?

We keep out childrens dingy at home, but there has been at discussion about using the pool as a dingy storage park. Is this going to happen? It looks like there is certainly a lot of scope for reorganisation for the whole car area.

This forum is sponsored by whom? Lymington Council, LCF, Sea Water Centre project or a group of non-aligned concerned Lymington residents? The appearance is of an anonymous clandestine group who where identified/attacked in the paper on Friday. Who is the Project Manager for the Sea Water Centre Project and are they involved in the website's site management?

Town councillors and resident representatives on the pool’s sub-committee are optimistic, and are determined to find a practical way forward to retain the pool as a star attraction. The town will not willingly give up its jewel! Read more about the Sea Water Centre Meeting 5th Jan Summary.

With the recent snow and ice swimming is the last thing on my mind until summer, but my children of 4 and 5 would just love to sail and canoe on the pool. How about wind surfing? Seeing everyone out there helping each other in the snow and ice this last week, I know there are many out there that will pull together to help this work, me for one.

What a fantastic opportunity for Lymington and all those who enjoy the town and surrounding areas. There could be something for everyone in the SWC and I hope it has all the support it deserves. Our family for one would love to volunteer to help and first in the cue when it opens. We have registered as Friends and are very excited. We can put our hands to most things so let us know.