SMART Swim Centre 1st anniversary

Swimming to success! New community project marks pool anniversary

South Molton’s SMART Swim Centre team are celebrating their first anniversary of saving the town’s previously troubled pool, by launching a new initiative aimed at getting more local people in the swim.

Pool owner Lisa Bousted has joined forces with Natalie Pinto and Tracey Hommell to found the SMART Action Project CIC (SAP), to provide opportunities for people under the age of 25 not only to learn to swim, but also training, work experience and social events alongside other groups in the town, including the YMCA and Skate Molton.

“It’s our way of giving back to the community,” said Natalie Pinto, chair of SAP. “We understand that not every household

has the opportunity to attend regular activities at the centre, so we wanted to create something with local people’s wellbeing at its heart. SAP will provide more opportunities for swimming and lessons, but also extend our offer of school holiday activities, work experience and employability options through training.”

The SMART team, led by Lisa Bousted, Darren Horwood and Charlotte Smart, bought the pool in 2023 when the previous operators 1610 Leisure Trust were forced to close it, citing spiralling costs and rising debts; 1610 had taken over running the facility from the original trustees in 2019.

“As a family we have used South Molton pool many a times. We were saddened for the community that they had lost their pool again,” Lisa Bousted told Molton Monthly.

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Zumba - one of many popular activities available

The SMART Swim Centre family

“With our experience and expertise, we felt as a family we had the drive, passion and love of water to bring South Molton’s pool back to the community and surrounding areas,” continued Lisa, who is herself a highly qualified International STA (Swimming Teachers Assoc) swim tutor.

“The best thing has been meeting local people and providing a safe space for families, friends and individuals to exercise, relax and feel part of a growing community. We’ve also loved seeing our team of 37, most of whom had never been in the industry before, grow and develop as the business has grown. They are the people that are making SMART a success.”

Under SMART’s ownership the pool (pictured below) has been further modernised and upgraded, receiving many five star reviews for the way it’s been run over the last 12 months.

Nationally, swimming pools have been struggling due to rising energy costs and cuts to local authority budgets. Swim England is calling for urgent government support for the sector.

South Molton’s pool is now a self-funded business, and the owners echo the words of Terry Woods, who helped secure grants for the first heated indoor pool back in the 1990s, “The community has their pool, now you’ve got to use it!”.

South Molton’s swimming history

1930s - bathing pits were created on the River Mole

1962 - the first outdoor public swimming pool opened on August 4th

1996 - new indoor pool opened on May 14th following a local fundraising campaign and lottery award of £316,000 2016 - the pool underwent a major grant funded upgrade

2019 - 1610 Leisure Trust took over from the original local trustees to try to keep the pool afloat

2022 - South Molton’s pool closed on October 1st, with 1610 Trust citing spiralling costs and rising debts

2023 - SMART Swim Centre was launched on April 7th with a new business team at the helm

2024 - SMART Action Project CIC launched April 7th

1930s bathing pit on the River Mole - photo South Molton Museum

The original outdoor pool opening in 1962