Frequently asked questions

How can I best help the future of Portishead open air pool?

The Portishead Pool Community Trust Board of Trustees leads the development and administration of the pool and café site in accordance with the terms of the Trust and its long-term lease over the site.

The Board reports to the Trust Members of Portishead Pool Community Trust. Anyone can become a Trust Member for a minimal fee. Trust members are informed on key topics and vote at our Annual General Meetings, including electing all our trustees on the board. To be a trustee you must be a Trust Member. If you wish to become a Trust Member please email. info@portisheadopenairpool.org.uk

Our trustees are volunteers. Many of those who operate the pool are also Volunteers. We have a wide range of opportunities for Volunteers of all ages to get involved for the benefit of our wide and varied community including in reception, tuck shop, café, and maintenance activities.

If you are interested in volunteering, please email us on info@portisheadopenairpool.org.uk

Is the future of the open-air pool in Portishead secure?

In 2009 PPCT signed a 99-year lease with North Somerset Council to run the site of the Portishead open air pool. The Board of Trustees of PPCT believes that ensuing the future of the open-air pool is a significant priority for us. We have developed substantial financial reserves precisely to address the ongoing needs associated with providing a well-regarded community swimming and leisure site, including the potential repair and replacement of significant equipment and fixtures.

As an open air facility in the UK we can never be completely confident in continuous great weather, so spring, summer and early autumn months are critical operating periods for us which mean we have some protection against events such as occasional poor weather during a season. Good season’s trading allows us to offer a wider range of warm water events at other times of the year too.

As a charitable trust our operations cannot make any form of financial loss. All our volunteers work very hard to help us keep our costs as low as possible – the more we have and the wider the range of skills and capabilities they are able to share with us, the more we are able to secure what we offer for the community.

We look very closely at the effectiveness of our operations and review our operational performance monthly. When we must, we have a track record of taking tough decisions to ensure Portishead Open Air Pool has a secure future with PPCT.

How can I communicate questions and concerns with the trustees of PPCT?

The Board of Trustees at PPCT work collectively to oversee the workings of PPCT. We hold an annual trust meeting to ensure Trust members are aware of our progress and plans and to communicate our decisions.

For our community and users, we communicate through a regularly refreshed website and a range of social media channels. Using the “contact us” facilities available through these channels ensures all contacts are both traceable and receive appropriate responses. Trustees can be contacted via info@portisheadopenairpool.org.uk

We also love to discuss the site with visitors during our opening hours and take great pride in the ongoing development of the long history of the pool site.

The volunteer who leads on communication may not be able answer every question you have immediately, from the information available to them, and in the case of a complex enquiry then this is passed to the Chair of PPCT. The Chair of PPCT will reply on behalf of PPCT, based on the collective decisions made by the board of trustees, and will also pass observations made to PPCT onto the board of trustees where appropriate.

How does Portishead Open Air Pool compare with others in the UK?

Most people are surprised to discover that open air pools are widely distributed across the UK with over 120 available the length and breadth of the country. They range from unsupervised tidal sea pools and private members’ clubs through to local authority provision; from unheated sea water to solar heated; from cross-subsidised to standalone; from seasonal to annual opening seasons. Only 49 are volunteer run.

We maintain regular dialogue with many other pools around the country but it is fair to say that from our detailed research there are only a handful that we would consider to have similar operations to our own – none is identical, and each has its own operating challenges and opportunities and is managed accordingly.