The idea
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
- Feasability Study on Court Farm, King's Stanley
- Pre-application planning submission and consultation
- Ongoing assessment of any other offered sites
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
- Feasibility study on Court Farm location
- Pre-application consultation with SDC
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
