The Friends of New Earswick Swimming Pool (FoNESP) are a small group of local volunteers who, in October 2017, stepped forward to fight the planned closure and demolition of the New Earswick village swimming pool. After a long and well-supported campaign we took over the day-to-day running and management of the pool which is now registered as a community asset - on 1st January 2019, signing a 25 year lease. We became a registered charity of the same name in January 2020.

We rent the pool at low cost to a diverse range of York-based community groups and the pool is used 12 hours a day/7 days a week, for 50 weeks a year. Every week at the pool:

over 770 children from across the York area attend lessons or training at our pool,

250 babies & toddlers (aided by parents or grandparents) gain water confidence

over 200 other swimmers of all ages swim for fun or fitness and we also have a scuba diving group too.

The 13 groups who hire our pool provide over 100 part-time paid and volunteering jobs such as Teachers and Lifeguards, particularly for young adults.

Amongst the groups who regularly hire the pool are:

New Earswick Disabled Swimming Club - York's only disability swim group and a registered charity, whose members include those recovering from heart attack, strokes and cancer as well as amputees and others with a range of physical and mental health problems

Hartrigg Oaks - a nearby care home and retirement complex

New Earswick Swimming Club - a volunteer run not-for-profit group who have been teaching children to swim and training children for competition since 1967

Danesgate School - a local authority school for children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties who are outside of main stream education

Female swim/Mum & Toddler Group - volunteer run group, operating for over 30 years. This group includes a number of ladies of ethnic minorities who, for religious reasons, cannot swim at other pools where men are present

Public swimming - with the lowest pay-as-you go public swim entry fee in York, with free swimming for children aged 11 and under and a discounted fee for senior citizens.

Our work at the pool was recently recognised when we were runners up in the 2022 York Press Community Pride Awards, Best Community Project category.

We've faced many challenges since taking over including being closed for 6 months during Covid lockdowns and, more recently, massive energy cost increases but we've survived. However the pool is old, and, prior to us taking over, did not receive the level of investment needed. As a result we now face our greatest threat failing boilers and a leaking roof. Thats why we are launching an urgent fundraising campaign to raise £250,000, with the immediate priority being to raise £50,000 for new boilers. 1 of our 3 boilers has recently failed and is irreparable and if the others fail then we would have to close immediately. The future of the pool depends on raising these urgent funds.