NEWS

make new ones.   Jill Earnshaw, Chair of the Victoria Baths Trust, says, “The excitement surrounding this swim, the unprecedented levels of interest, and the fact that Victoria Baths became part

Image courtesy of Steve Allen

Victoria Baths held an historic swim in its Gala pool on 14 May, the first in 24 years, in a one off event that has shown the huge appetite there is across the nation for one of the country’s leading heritage restoration projects. Gill Wright, Project Development Manager for Victoria Baths, said: “This was the most wonderful day Victoria Baths has known since its closure in 1993. We knew it would be a special event, but seeing the pool filled with people joyfully experiencing the opportunity to swim in this stunning setting, even though it was just for one day, it surpassed our expectations. “From the moment that the tickets went on sale, the interest has been phenomenal with the historic public swim becoming the hot topic on everyone’s lips.  What’s been clear throughout is the love there is for this building and the shared passion there is for securing its future, and being able to use Victoria Baths for swimming.” It was an occasion that enabled people to relive memories and, for those whose visit to the Grade II* Baths was for the first time, to

Image courtesy of David Kennedy

Historic Swim At Victoria Baths Makes A Splash

of the national news agenda has renewed the vigour we have for the vision of Victoria Baths. “We were delighted to raise £3,000 towards the next stage of our plans, the restoration of the Turkish Baths, but even more delighted to get the nation talking about our project.” Following works to the roof, exteriors and some interior work, the restoration of the Turkish Baths is the next step in Victoria Baths Trust’s plan, with the long term aim being to restore the whole building, including having a swimming pool for permanent public use. Victoria Baths’ next Open Day will be on Sunday 11 June, when there will be an Artisan Summer Fair as well as guided tours of the building and artwork on display. Victoria Baths 0161 224 2020 www.victoriabaths.org.uk

Wet Leisure Survey Goes Digital What are the most important industry trends? How do your competitors advertise? What is the biggest growth area in the market? How does the industry expect business conditions to be next year? The answers to all these questions, and many more, can be found on new website wetleisure.com, the industry’s only market intelligence launched by Golden Coast, one of the UK’s leading distributors. This online portal is home to the results of the company’s annual Wet Leisure Industry Survey, which was launched in 2011, with support from the British Swimming Pool Federation (BSPF). The 2016 survey, which is

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available now to view on the site alongside previous years’ results, offers full analysis and identifies key trends. Golden Coast Managing Director Jamie Adams added: “With six years of data and analysis in one location, we’ve tried to make it as easy as possible for those working in our industry to get a feel for how the industry and its customers are changing.” He continued: “For example, the outdoor above-ground pool has always been a tried-andtested entry level staple. But, in our 2016 survey, for the first time, we’re seeing the number of new installations decline. At the same time, we’re seeing growth in the numbers of new swim spas.

“With this in mind, as an industry, should we be doing more to seize this opportunity by promoting and informing potential customers about smaller, smarter designs?” Jamie added: “As the new home for the survey, www. wetleisure.com provides valuable market intelligence at the click of a button. This means that our industry has the information available to make decisions that will strengthen its future. “It’s just one of the ways we support our customers, as well

as the wider industry: By arming them with the knowledge to spot opportunities, we equip them to respond to buying trends – allowing them to plan more successfully for the future.” Wet Leisure Industry Survey 01271 378100 www.wetleisure.com

www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk 27/05/2017 12:52