West Spreydon School Community Pool Rebuild. Take two!
We had a great Summer, then we had an Earthquake. Seven years later we are finally ready for many more amazing Summers.
Canterbury
WE LOVE OUR POOL AND ALL THAT IT REPRESENTS!
Our Community is strong and capable and happy to do what needs to be done to get our pool back. We understand that this is a very local story, so we are not pleading for money from others, as we are happy to continue fundraise, get our hands dirty and deal with all the paper work!
HOWEVER, we have been contacted by many people wanting to support us through donations because they are passionate about seeing anywhere in NZ: kids learning to swim, schools retaining their pools, and backing community ownership and initiatives.
HENCE we have decided to set up this page. Although we are not putting on the 'hard sell' we would happilly accept your donations. And we thank you, and we appreciate it because we know that these donations will go a long way.
THE BACK STORY. Originally built in the 1930s and part of the local landscape ever since. But 10 or so years ago the pool had become run down with out the necessary resources and compliance. The future looked like most other schools - filling it in :(
BUT our community wanted our pool back and once more partnered with our school, and got to work throughout 2008-2011: frenetic fundraising, endless meetings and hard physical labour. Throughout the summer of 2010/2011 the atmosphere was BUZZING at West Spreydon's school pool once again.
The students got to swim every day (for free), the school community used their swipe cards to enjoy the pool on evenings and weekends. It was the hub of the community. Good Kiwi living.
Thursday 17th Febuary 2011 we celebrated at the pool had the official 'we did this' gathering. The celebrations were to be short lived. On Tuesday 22nd Febuary we lost our beloved pool to the Christchurch earthquake. Our hearts, dreams and pool all shattered.
We are now 7 years into our journey of rebuilding AGAIN....and we are almost there. With an expected opening on Show Weekend time really is whizzing by.
Please follow our progress on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/westspreydonschoolcommunitypool. We'd love you to 'like' our Facebook page and be part of the adventure.
And, if you want to support us financially, here is the page asked for. Thank you for your generosity, for believing in our vision and for keeping this amazing asset in our community for generations to come.
Funds raised will be paid directly into the West Spreydon School Community Pool's bank account.
The money will be used to complete stage 4.
West Spreydon School's involvement (page creator)
Our pool committee is a dedicated group of volunteers passionate about our community continuing to enjoy and benefit from our amazing school pool.
About us
We are the West Spreydon School and Community Pool Committee, and we need your help. We are 3 parts our way through a massive fundraising campaign to give our school and its community the pool back after the devastating events of the February 2011 earthquake.
This is so important to our community, just 5 days before the earthquakes we held a celebration at the school pool after reopening the gates following a very successful 2-year campaign to refurbish the school and community pool.
Unfortunately, the events of the February 2011 earthquake completely took out our pools and devastated our community.
We have already achieved what some would think is unachievable. A total of $700,000 has been promised and committed which will be enough to complete stage 3; (we have 5 stages).
We have amazing support and we have already achieved so much but we can not achieve stages 4 & 5 solo, we are relying on the community spirit and help from local businesses. If we can do it once we can do it again but this is much BIGGER than ever before!
To get us through stages 4 & 5 will require a whole school and community effort. Raising the cash or equivalent of about $200,000, setting policy and procedures, rebuilding our volunteer base and carrying out the work which involves:
Changing Sheds - completing and kitting out
Concrete that surrounds the pool
Disabled Toilet - purchase and install
Shallow drainage and plumbing
Electrical work for new filtration and changing sheds
Fence and swipe card system
Small pool - kitted out and connected to the new filtration
Chemical System - purchased and installed
Tidy and Grassed
It’s a substantial challenge. We’d like to think it's a community sized one, Hopefully, local children will see the school motto and Whakatauki lived out around them….
“Attitude-Adventure- Achievement”, “If you should stumble, let it be to the lofty mountain”.
We need sponsors and support, sponsorship does not always mean money, any and all support helps us keep costs low and take us further.
Please have a think about how you can help. Any and all help will be recognised.
We believe there is still lots of energy from the community on the ground, and along with funders, businesses and skilled tradespeople we can make this 8 year journey have a happily ever after ending - starting with A BIG OPENING CELEBRATION SHOW DAY THIS YEAR!
Help us make history and be a part of our dream.
Thank you from all of the Community Pool Committee for taking the time to read this and hopefully help support us in our historic goal.
Use of funds
Stage 1 was fissility, Stage 2 was design and consent, Stage 3 was putting the pool in and down the under the surface work, plus the changing shed and filter house shell.
Stage 4 will take it through to being able to open. This includes fencing, fitting out changing sheds and pump house, landscaping, water treatment, community use swipe card system, plumbing, disabled toilets and hoists etc etc. All the stuff around the pool that makes the pool complex safe and useable.
Other page links
Latest donations
Who's involved?