To create a safe, natural, outdoor, community pool in the Stroud locality for all year round use. Surrounded by nature, the community would be encouraged to connect to swim, dip and play in the water.
A feasibility study to create, a safe, natural, outdoor community pool in the Stroud locality. It will be available to use all year round, be accessible, have safe, clean water, and be in a local spot surrounded by natural beauty. Aquatic plants and biofiltration systems will filter the chemical free water, ensuring the water will be of excellent quality, and kind to the skin. A section of the pool will be heated all year round with geothermal energy, and a section will be left to change temperature through the seasons. Facilities will include sauna, changing rooms and showers, wellbeing space for hire, play areas, and seating to relax in the tranquillity. Crowdfunding will initially enable a feasibility study to be completed on Court Farm in King's Stanley. This will provide content for the pre-app planning consultation to begin liaisons with the council re planning permission. Other sites that may be offered during this process will be assessed for suitability too.
What we'll deliver:
Why it's a great idea:
An accessible, safe and affordable facility, open all year, allowing those with a variety of abilities to experience the many physical benefits of swimming outside in clean, natural water including: • improved circulation • boosted immune system • pain relief • Increased exposure to daylight - ^Vit D • Reduced inflammation • Improved muscle tone and strength (Swim England, 2024) Well documented mental health benefits of swimming outdoors in a restorative blue and green environment (Overbury et al. 2023) A hub to connect and interact, reducing social isolation and building a sense of belonging and community. Venue for families to play, encouraging fun and connection. Provide volunteering and paid work opportunities Provide opportunities to learn about water safety Reduce pressure on the oversubscribed local swimming pools, and provide a safer place to swim than the higher risk sites currently used by wild swimmers Increase in biodiversity net gain of current farmland.
Steps to get it done:
Our initial key demographic will be existing and new outdoor swimmers. It is hard to overstate the enthusiasm of the community. They believe passionately in the benefits of swimming in nature and have responded positively to the idea that we are going to create a bespoke natural pool locally. However we would like to go beyond the normal demographic of wild swimmers and encourage: • family use with appropriate supervision. • sessions for those with additional needs • accessibility to those in financial hardship and via social prescribing. Design features would include lane and circuit swimming, dipping zone, family area, heated section. There is a plan in future phases of the project to create Earth saunas and natural play areas. Court Farm also has a thriving cafe. References: Swim England Conroy. B. Marks. E. Overbury. K. 2023. Swimming in nature: A scoping review of the mental heath and wellbeing benefits of open water swimming. Journal of Environmental Psychology. 90
Gallery
Location King's Stanley
About the space
Court Farm, Broad Street, King’s Stanley, GL10 3PN
Council
Stroud District Council
Journey
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Whoop, 570 people have pledged since fundraising began!
Whoop, 560 people have pledged since fundraising began!
Whoop, 550 people have pledged since fundraising began!
Whoop, 540 people have pledged since fundraising began!
Brilliant news, thanks everyone!
Whoop, 530 people have pledged since fundraising began!
How will the money be spent?Target (inc. fees) £36,614
Costs Breakdown
This shows how money raised for the project will be spent. These costs have been confirmed by the project's Delivery Manager and verified.
Overfunding
This project is enabled for overfunding. If the project hits its funding goal before the end of the campaign period, any extra funds raised will be spent (in order of priority) on:
Target (inc. fees) £36,614
Our Volunteer List
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VolunteerCommunity Waters CIC’s mission is to address the lack of year-round access to safe, natural water for swimming in Stroud locality, and inspire other communities to do the same.
I am an NHS nurse, passionate about community health and swimming as a way of maintaining and improving well-being. My own journey of being challenged by poor mental health has led me to find fun, effective and sustainable ways to support my mood and physical health.
Swimming outdoors in nature is a natural way of keeping healthy and happy by people of all ages and abilities.
Blue and green community spaces play an important role in connecting people together, in nature, and improving mental health (WHO 2021).
Swimming outside became a fun activity to support my well-being all year round. I could see a need for a more local spot to be created where the community could be encouraged to access safe,clean water amidst the beauty of nature.
Community Waters CIC was born, and now is being supported by a dynamic team who have expertise in:
Amy Morris has been gathering a team of friends, professionals and swimmers who have supported the project in kind to date. To move the project on, funding is needed to pay fees for ongoing consultation to ensure that the project is created at a suitable location, designed to suit the community's needs, protects nature, and is sustainable long term.
A farmer in King's Stanely has offered use of their land to create the project. This is fantastic news and we are keen to grasp this opportunity and get moving with the groundwork.
By splitting the project into phases, and raising money in bitesized chunks, it is hoped that the community, funders and local authority will gain confidence in the project's development as it grows and is delivered.
The community will be encouraged to get involved by:
Partnerships will be developed with organisations whose goals align with the CIC's:
Project Owner: Community Waters CIC The Project Owner takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.
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