KIRKCUDBRIGHT SWIMMING POOL

Money talking

THE SWIMMING POOL was opened in 1997 after a ten-year battle by Kirkcudbright people for their own pool.

A decade earlier an approach was made to the then local council proposing a pool for the town, to be built on land between the Academy and the river, donated earlier to the town by the Hope-Dunbar family for recreational use. At that time the nearest pool was in Castle Douglas, eight miles away. The council was sceptical that local demand justified a pool in Kirkcudbright, and challenged the supporters to raise a ‘six-figure sum’ to demonstrate it.

Kirkcudbright Swimming Pool Ltd (KSP) was formed to raise money and build a pool in Kirkcudbright. Volunteers ran a charity shop in St Mary’s Street. Used drink cans were collected and recycled for money. Over the years the money grew and eventually the magnificent sum of £100,000 had been raised.

Still the authorities held back. It turned out they had plans and funds for pools in the region, but not in Kirkcudbright. A pool would be far beyond the resources of KSP; for example, the pool being built in Stranraer was to cost two million pounds. It was suggested KSP donate its fund to a pool at Castle Douglas.

KSP stuck to its guns. It found cheaper designs in England: a good pool could be built in Kirkcudbright for half a million. Relentlessly it kept adding to its pile of money.

Eventually the will of the people, as expressed in the money they had saved for their pool, prevailed, and attracted matching funds from the Lotteries Commission, and a further grant from the regional council. By this time, KSP had amassed a quarter of a million pounds, saved over a decade by the people of Kirkcudbright.

In July 1997 the Kirkcudbright Swimming Pool opened. It is a copy of a pool in England. The pool has a full-time manager, but is otherwise staffed by volunteers. Some of the running expenses are covered by ticket and membership sales, the remainder by sales at the charity shop in St Mary’s Street.

Stephen Taylor