1 week Ago
A pool has reopened after months of closure. More than 200 people attended the event at Eastbourne's Sovereign Centre pool, which was saved from permanent closure by a new operator. Eastbourne Borough Council made the decision to close the pool in November last year, as part of a range of cost-cutting measures.
The authority reported facing an “unprecedented strain on council finances” due to the cost of homelessness and temporary accommodation and made a series of cuts to balance its budget, including the closure of The Beachy Head Story in September. A petition to save the fun pool was signed by more than 7,000 people . New operator GLL, better known as Better, stepped in and said it intends to invest a minimum of £1 million, in collaboration with the council, into maintaining and upgrading crucial equipment and the centre’s facilities.
Eastbourne MP Josh Babarinde and Sovereign Centre staff (Image: SOVEREIGN CENTRE EASTBOURNE SPLASH POOL) MP for Eastbourne Josh Babarinde, who launched the reopening event on April 5, expressed gratitude to GLL. "It's wonderful that a community campaign and incredible action from the council and GLL has meant that the fun pool and Sovereign Centre are safe for future generations," he said. "The pool today is buzzing and full of families who can’t wait to get stuck in and enjoy it.
"I’m so thankful to everybody involved in getting us to this place." Campaigners of Save the Sovereign Centre protested against the closure in February, calling for the fun pool to be kept open all year round. Sarah Turner, a campaigner for Save the Sovereign Centre, said: "It went very well.
We had an enormous turn out, so many people who are so passionate about the Sovereign Centre. "The atmosphere was really incredible, there were mixed feelings of success at getting this far, and disappointment that we're not there yet. Children holding signs outside the Sovereign Centre (Image: Supplied) "It really was so great to see how a community can come together, highlight issues and make a real difference.
" Sarah described how so many families rely on the fun pool, which closed in November and remained shut until this month. She said: "You assume it's just for fun. It’s not.
“People go in there to keep fit, people who can’t use stairs. Some of the stories I have heard are heart breaking. “Parents who take their children there, parents who can’t lift their children themselves normally.
“I heard one story of a child who is two and has muscular dystrophy. "The weightlessness of the water allows them to keep their muscles moving.”.
