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Sink or Swim: Campaigners wearing lifejackets and rubber rings protest closure of Bucksburn Swimming Pool

Campaigners, young and old, braved the elements donning lifejackets and rubber rings to fight the closure of an Aberdeen swimming pool.

The sound of drums and cheers filled the air as over 100 protestors stood outside the Bucksburn Swimming Pool to protest its closure next month.

Despite it being Mother’s Day, families stood in the drizzling rain holding placards and wearing armbands and rubber rings, while cheering on speakers.

Cars honked their horns in solidarity as they passed by the colourful demonstration outside the pool.

Protestors were out waving their homemade signs between 2pm and 4.30pm. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

It comes after Aberdeen City Council cut funding to Sport Aberdeen as part of its efforts to plug a £46.6 million funding gap, resulting in the closure of the two swimming facilities.

Hundreds of people from the area have attended meetings or protests since the budget cuts and over 8,500 have signed a petition to save the Bucksburn pool.

For many, the nearest pool is the refurbished Northfield Swimming Pool – which is at least two bus rides away for those who can’t drive.

Others are worried they may not be able to afford the costs of other private pools, with some charging as much as £18 for an adult to go for a swim and £8 for a child.

Aberdeen Labour leader Barney Crockett joined the protest. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

Pool enjoyed by generations

Four generations of Lisa Christie’s family use the Bucksburn pool.

The 49-year-old explained she swims in the pool almost every day before her work and that it helped her lose eight stone.

Standing outside the pool this afternoon with her son Daniel, the grandmother labelled the plans to close the facility as a “disgrace”.

She said: “I actually lost eight stone and this helped me on my journey and still does.

Campaigners fighting the closure of Bucksburn swimming pool gathered outside the pool holding placards and wearing rubber rings and armbands. Picture of (L-R) Nell McDonald, five, and Paige Dalgleish, six. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

“My children use the pool, my daughter uses the pool for her five-month-old and my mum uses the pool as well, she goes to aqua Zumba – and that’s just one family.

“The amount of friends I’ve made coming here, and my mum has made friends coming here. It’s a big thing to a lot of people, and it’s not just about health it’s the social aspect. And at the end of the day, it’s a lifesaving skill.

“I just think for the size of Bucksburn, it’s an absolute disgrace. I didn’t see this coming at all, and I for one will be devastated.”

Mr Christie who learned to swim in Bucksburn pool agreed with his mum. The offshore logistics worker said: “I slipped two discs at the start of Covid, and that’s why I started swimming again and it’s helped me.

The pool is used by generations. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

“Coming in after 10 years, it’s the exact same,” he laughed. “The only difference is I can stand in the deep end now.

“We all came here at school, all my friends, and I think it’s a short-sighted decision.”

Fears that children will miss out

Many are worried that children would miss out on vital swimming lessons if the facility were to close, with over 900 kids using the pool every week.

Neil Duncan from Bridge of Don says his son, eight-year-old Ross, uses Bucksburn Swimming Pool because it was the only one with space for him to enroll.

Children were out protesting the closure of their pool. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

Mr Duncan, 41, said: “We’ve been coming here since the Beach Leisure Centre shut. It was hard enough trying to get him into here because there were no spaces anywhere to start with.

“We stay in Bridge of Don and I would be quite happy for him to keep coming here, it’s an absolute nightmare just now. All over Aberdeen it’s just fully booked everywhere – we’ve tried Bridge of Don, we’ve tried Northfield.

“It’s one thing we’re very keen on is for him to learn to swim, and it’s so good here. The staff are really good and the facility is lovely. A lot better than some out there.”

He added: “Every swimming lesson is always fully booked.”

Encouraging more people to use their local facility

Bucksburn pool is the only city facility that has shallow pool steps, which many elderly and disabled people rely on for getting in and out of the pool.

Angela Duncan who uses the pool weekly said the pool closure will be a “huge loss”.

The 75-year-old said: “It will be a huge loss if it is closed. In the mornings it’s quite busy, I spoke with someone earlier who said Saturdays are always packed.

“This is the only one in the city you can walk into and you’ve got something you can hold on to and it’s got a shallow entrance. It’s surprising just how many people come in and use that.”

Protestors gathered outside closure-threatened Bucksburn Pool on Sunday while dozens more demonstrated opposition to planned library closures earlier this week. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson.
Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson.

However, 64-year-old Roland Reid uses the pool almost every day. He says that although the needs of children, pensioners and people with special needs are being catered for, there are not enough adults using the facility.

He explained: “Sometimes I am the only one in the pool, so I really encourage people – if they really are committed to saving the pool – to come along and attend.

“The sad thing is I don’t have a car, so I won’t have the transport to be able to go to another pool.”

Campaigners are calling on locals and pool users to stand outside the council on March 29 during the finance and resource committee meeting to “make more noise”.

The Save Bucksburn Swimming Pool petition can be found here.

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