Save Jubilee Pool

Jerry

I have lived in this area all my life and have used the pool regularly from a child right into adulthood.

In 2014 I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and from then on became a member to help with my rehabilitation. From then, up until lockdown, I used the pool and the gym 5 to 7 times a week. Not only is the pool within walking distance, but it is also not pretentious in any way (as I find Hengrove to be), I can always gain entry and the staff are informative and friendly. I feel my wellbeing both physically and mentally has benefited immensely from being able to use this facility.

As well as using the pool myself I also take my grandson who has Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) along with sensory processing problems, attachment disorder and complex PTSD. He struggles with emotional and sensory regulation, which is made worse by crowds, loud noises, and strangers. With these recognised issues there is no way he could attend a larger leisure facility.

On taking him to Hengrove some time ago, the noise and the sheer amount of people in the pool resulted in complete sensory overload. I could not even get him out of the changing room. We have not returned since!

As a small pool with patient, informative staff, Jubilee is a much more neuro-diverse child-friendly environment. The staff have taken the time to really get to know my grandson. Over the past 7 years they have watched, helped, and encouraged him in his swimming journey. They have celebrated his milestones and been a friendly smile and kind word when he is struggling. The regular swimmers have taken my him under their wing as well, and this for him has been amazing! I cannot explain to you how important it is for children like my grandson to feel safe and accepted in their chosen activity. You just do not get that sense of safety and community at larger leisure facilities.

Surely there is a need for everyone, especially children with problems beyond their control, to be able to access and feel safe in their chosen leisure activities? Without Jubilee, I am not sure how he would be able to continue with my grandson’s swimming which I think would be a travesty, and heart-breaking for him!

I feel that Jubilee Pool is an absolute necessity for this area, larger leisure facilities have their place but not at the expense of smaller, more communal, facilities.

Ruth

I have been visiting Jubilee pool for the last 10 years, sometimes up to 7 days a week.

I have Osteo-arthritis in most of my joints and have had total knee replacements in both knees. Swimming was key to my post-op rehabilitation and continues to be an essential part of my weekly routine. As a non-weight-bearing exercise, it is something I can participate in without overloading my other arthritic joints.

During lockdown one of the things I have missed most is not being able to swim at Jubilee to sooth my body and for my general mental well-being.

I would be more than upset if Jubilee closed permanently. I could drive to Hengrove but find the pool very cold and because I can't swim very quickly it's hard to warm up, which has the opposite to the desired effect on my joints! I would likely have to give up swimming as an exercise and I am certain that this would have a detrimental effect on my health

Noah

This young man, who has Severe Learning Difficulties, has been a regular user of Jubilee Pool for years. He particularly loves the Accessible Swim sessions where he meets many friends who also have LD. Some people come on their own, others with their support workers from agencies such as Silvacare and Brandon Trust. He has impaired vision and mobility but can swim 50 half lengths. Only ever half lengths because he refuses to swim in shallow water.

Bristol City Council are telling everyone that we can use Hengrove Pool. Well for some people that will be a problem. Hengrove is too big, too open and too noisy if sensory overload is an issue for you. It may only be 2 miles as the crow flies but it will mean a 40 minute journey by bus each way, for someone who finds travel anxiety-inducing and challenging and of course that's 80 more minutes for their carer. And for this young man one of the two pools is too chilly for him to swim and the other is warm but shallow, so he will not swim in it. He will simply splash. He does enjoy a good splash but it’s not the same as swimming 50 half-lengths and keeping fit.

The voices of People with LD are often unheard. So please here this:

Health inequalities for people with LD are real. Opportunities to access fitness for people with LD are few. If Bristol City Council close Jubilee Pool it will have a real and damaging impact on this young man and on the lives of other People with Learning Difficulties locally.

Jamie

After sexual assault Jubilee swimming pool was and remains to be the only place I feel safe not just to swim, but to expose enough of my body to wear a swim suit. The women’s only hours were, at one point, the only time I felt able to leave the house. The pool itself is close enough that I can walk so I don’t have to deal with panic attacks on public transport. The staff are always understanding, compassionate and willing to help however they can. The building is a comfortable size that has never felt overwhelming - something that just isn’t available at Hengrove. I now attend two therapy groups and have a close network of support and friends. None of which would be available to me if Jubilee pool hadn’t been there to give me confidence and security when I needed it most.

I know for a fact in attending one of the therapy groups that I am not the only woman who uses Jubilee pool in such a way. Myself and other women have discussed the pool as a safe haven for trauma survivors. They accommodate for all regardless of disabilities, religion or age in such a way that only a local community pool can. Closing Jubilee pool comes with the understanding that you are closing one of the few places local women have that offers a safe space for them.

Tanya

Jubilee pool is very much in the heart of our community and provides a way for people from all walks of life to network. From my perspective, the swimming lessons are not just for the benefit of the children, it is a way of parents being able to connect with other families and provide support to each other. Jubilee swimming lessons are very popular, but I can still book my children into the sessions. If jubilee were to close it worries me that my children would be unable to carry on with their lessons and be less safe around water. Certainly, my youngest would not get the opportunity as even if we did manage to get a space at Hengrove, it would be impractical to attend due to the size of our family.

Whilst I appreciate that, on paper, Hengrove is an alternative to Jubilee, the reality is very different. It is not within walking distance of Knowle, bus journeys are 40 mins long (when our family was younger, we did not own a car) and the parking is expensive and not always guaranteed. Life with four small children can be quite a logistical challenge and so this is not a risk I want to take - They moan enough on a good day!

On a personal level, I have relied heavily on use of Jubilee swimming pool for my health and wellbeing in my last couple of pregnancies. By the time I got to baby number 4 'me time' was non-existent. I was also suffering with low iron, severe back pain, and water retention in my legs - and as a result feeling quite low. I had done some swimming in my other (easier) pregnancies so thought I would give it another try. My family life is very busy, but I would manage to fit in a quick swim before work and the school run. – As this was bit of a mission timing wise it would not have been possible it if had been in a different location. Very quickly within a few swims I started to notice the difference. The pain in my back went and I had more energy. As a result, I did not take any sick leave during pregnancy and my mental health improved 100%.

I would feel bereft if jubilee were to shut as it has been so Important to me and my family health wise and socially. I strongly believe our fitness and wellbeing will be impacted if it were to close.

Susan

I have been going to Jubilee since the early 1960’s. To me, Jubilee is the grand old lady at the top of Talbot Hill which, along with the water tower, is a historical landmark. She is a very lovely example of an Art Deco building from 1937 and has served the community so well since then.

I just feel Jubilee could be a jewel in the city’s crown, if it was maintained and restored back to its former glory. Once the council have pulled down all these lovely buildings - they are gone forever! Look at the Saltdean lido and indeed the Clifton lido.

When Jubilee first opened, it was a matter of great civic pride, because in the 1930’s, the council had a pledge to let every Bristolian have access to a pool within a mile from their home - it's a pity we can’t still hold them to that! Even today, Jubilee charges a small admission fee, to allow as many as possible in the locality, from whatever circumstances, to afford to use the baths and learn how to swim.

It is not a huge, state of the art pool like Hengrove, it is small, welcoming and with a big heart. I say that because I found the staff so helpful and kind when I had a replacement knee last year, they helped me gain confidence getting in the water and I progressed from assisted swimming sessions, to gentle over 50’s sessions to finally lunchtime lane swimming in my days off work. I was going twice a week right up until the lockdown. I made friends with people in all the sessions I was going too, all benefiting from the water not only physically, but mentally too, it was a great way to socialise.

I tried Hengrove when it first opened, the cold-water temperature and awkward steps cut into side of the pool to access the water, made me realise that Jubilee may not be all singing and dancing, but it was still the best option for me.

The Covid-19 virus should not be the excuse the council use to shut the pool and sell the land, if anything , the Jubilee pool could be the remedy to bring the community back together and recover from the effects of the Covid pandemic. Worth every penny!

Aquasol