The Broomhill Pool Trust, Ipswich

31/05/2026

SUNDAY EXPRESS: DROWNING tra­gedies dur­ing last week’s heat­wave are proof that more needs to be done to tackle the UK’S swim­ming crisis, a pro­fessor warns. One in four chil­dren leave primary school unable to swim 25 metres unaided.

Full story at: https://www.pressreader.com/uk/sunday-express-1070/20260531/281642491838460

Pro­fessor Carl Heneghan, dir­ector of Oxford Uni­versity’s Centre of Evid­ence Based Medi­cine, is lob­by­ing for new rules to ensure every child demon­strates basic water safety skills before leav­ing primary school.

His research shows the recent deaths were not isol­ated incid­ents but part of a national swim­ming crisis. The ana­lysis revealed more than one in four chil­dren leave primary school unable to swim 25 metres unaided, des­pite swim­ming being a com­puls­ory part of the national cur­riculum. This means hun­dreds of thou­sands of young­sters are leav­ing school without a basic lifesav­ing skill.

And the num­bers are far higher – 35% – among low-income fam­il­ies. He also found about 14 mil­lion adults can­not swim a 25-metre length.

20/05/2026

Ipswich Star: Broomhill Lido safety fears /Broomhill pool Trust: We don't want to see restoration plans unravel)

https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/26121213.broomhill-lido-urban-explorers-warned-recent-videos/

14/05/2026

Sharing Brett Ford's Ipswich Remembered Post. AI generated visions of a restored Broomhill Pool. Brett writes: "Broomhill Swimming Pool in Ipswich closed in the autumn of 2002. The Grade II-listed lido had been operating for over 60 years after opening in 1938. For years it has sat empty & unused many people would love it back many others are against the idea. Here is what it could look like if it did open again"

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1204004474513583/posts/1302136364700393/?__cft__[0]=AZaGt6JwpjjpGcDUlNv-oTnfu5dIHdz0ABMEmNmflO6Tc8TO0XB8ykccaDnvYgmlbyR1I7AkdApMvJTmi06Gs-JMYSv2tDnhTagpdYRfVe3ZW7XzQTO1vdiOI-VYC9xKt5v5wgijqdrZzLwVVG-j-djD&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

24/04/2026

Suffolk Sound: Straight Talk.
Broomhill Pool Trust Chairman, Mark Ling, joins Paul Geater.
Against the backdrop of Fusion Lifestyle entering administration,
the interview provides the present status and overview, plus future outlook for the Broomhill Pool restoration project.

Please click on Listen Again link below for today (Friday).
Interview is on Straight Talk and runs from 00:22 to 00:32 mins.https://listenagain.suffolksound.com/

23/04/2026

Ipswich Star Reports: Administration for Broomhill Lido operator Fusion Lifestyle
https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/26045763.administration-broomhill-lido-operator-fusion-lifestyle/?

Broomhill Pool Trust advises "Very sad news for Fusion, their people, and facilities.

"In working with them since 2011, the Trust believes they were sincere in their plans for Broomhill. When appointed they were an outstanding operator. No doubt that Covid hit their particular operating and financial model for six.

"Government CBILS loans kept their heads above water, but ultimately the damage was done.

"Ipswich Borough Council was contracted with them for Broomhill since 2015. Fusion was leaseholder of the pool since 2019.

"Both parties legally bound, and had worked hard, to find solutions and way forward post Covid.

"Had covid not hit, the lido would have been restored in 2020 and opened in 2021.

"Post Covid, IBC and NL Heritage Fund both increased their capital funding in late 2023, guaranteeing 98% of the £10.25m costs.

"However, Fusion's financial predicament had created an impasse and “catch 22” position whereby it could not provide the financial certainty to contract the works and operate the lido.

"The Broomhill Pool Trust and Historic England is now supporting IBC with possible Development Funding Grants towards a fresh bid. We are working closely in partnership with IBC to kick-start and deliver the project. The lease is back safely with IBC. The way will mean a new operator or possibly design. So, a fresh start with potentially interested operators. Broomhill Pool retains crossparty political support and strong public backing.

"One of 20 listed lidos in Britain, Broomhill Pool is one of the very finest. Yet the ONLY one in Britain not restored or reopened. Its rebirth could be a centrepiece for City of Culture 2029. The strong reasons to save Broomhill Pool and the benefits for taxpayers, and citizens remain. The Trust remains committed to the task and we believe IBC is too.

Fusion Lifestyle, who was previously chosen as the operator for the restoration of the Broomhill Lido, has entered administration after financial…

16/04/2026

Gusford Primary School post:

https://www.facebook.com/gusfordprimaryschool/posts/pfbid02GerE1wGJd2KD9598vRvtMMvM6Nx89QGY8nm7KCQYHMPDbERrEwX4shtsHTBL4DyNl?locale=en_GB

26/03/2026

Ipswich Star reports: Broomhill Lido restoration could be centrepiece of Ipswich.

Mark Ling, the chairman of the trust to restore the Broomhill Lido in north Ipswich said that 'it could be the centrepiece' of the 2029 City of…

17/03/2026

Your chance to register your support for BroomhillPool on the Ipswich Cultural Strategy Survey. Please let's ensure that Broomhill is not forgotten, and takes its place as centerpiece for Ipswich's 2029 City of Culture Bid.

Let the Ipswich Cultural Strategy team know what you think.
Use link: https://eu.jotform.com/260363418648058

* What would make Ipswich a place you’d want to stay or come back to?
* In one sentence: what do you want Ipswich to be known for?
* If you had one wish for Ipswich's future, what would it be?
* What makes Ipswich feel like a good place to live or not?

The Cultural Team states: "Ipswich is thinking about its future - how it feels to live here, what people can take part in, and how creativity shows up in everyday life. We’re working on a long-term Cultural Strategy to shape our cultural offer, and we’ve also put our name forward for City of Culture.

"This survey is a chance to have your say. What you share will help make sure plans for Ipswich are shaped by local voices, and that any City of Culture bid is stronger because it’s rooted in real experiences, not just big ideas.

"There are no right answers. We want to understand how Ipswich feels, looks and works from your point of view. You can answer about Ipswich as a whole or focus on a specific place, space, or experience that means a lot to you.

13/03/2026

Broomhill Pool still attracts local film makers, artists, photographers, architects, historians, schools, colleges, writers.

The Trust held a writing competition on the pool's 75th Anniversary in 2013. But here's a new short script submitted by a mother and local resident with a passion to see the Lido restored to its deserved glory:

"I am full and yet I feel so empty.

I lie here quietly, almost forgotten.

Inside my doors swing wildly … open and close, open and close, bang, bang, bang. The wind whistles amongst my surrounding trees, screaming and echoing my fear that I may never see life again.

Am I dying? My cracks are deepening, the paint flakes off my walls and falls to the ground. Will I melt like snow and disappear? My life feels worthless, so why am I still here?

My once brilliant white walls are turning grey. How soon will I fade into a shadow? A memory? And then perhaps not even that. How long do I have?

Then I hear hope. I hear the whisper of children laughing and playing, being carried by the wind to within my walls. Are they ghosts? They sound so familiar and yet so distant, so far away. But the wind soon carries that sound away. And I am left quiet and somehow even more alone.

False hope seems to rise like the warm morning sun. Shining light on my possibilities, my hopes, and dreams. But soon those dark clouds pass by. That sun keeps slipping in and out of my view, teasing me, before being swallowed up by the darkness of night and the fear that I will not see another day.

How I feel like I'm drowning! I am sinking beneath the weight of what needs to be done. I need someone to breathe life back into my soul, to save me from my depths of despair.

Don’t worry though. I am still holding on to that one forgotten lifebuoy ring and I will not give up just yet. I just need you to pull me in, for each one of you to take a strong hold and pull, pull, pull".

12/03/2026

Jack Abbott MP PRIDE IN PLACE REPORT - Broomhill Pool features.

An Analysis and Presentation of Survey Responses:

The report summarises the outcomes of 206 community submissions, highlighting the suggestions and priorities identified by local people. Jack Abbott MP is sharing these findings to guide Ipswich Borough Council in making strategic, evidence-based decisions that reflect local needs and aspirations

"A number of responses, there was a strong desire to see heritage-led recreation, such as the Broomhill Lido".

"Broomhill Lido & Heritage Leisure: Within the responses referencing this re-development, there was a profound emotional attachment to the Broomhill Lido. Residents view its restoration not just as a leisure project, but as a restoration of civic pride.

"The Logic: Respondents argued that by combining the Pride in Place fund with existing restoration efforts, the Council can secure a "heritage jewel" that acts as a major regional summer attraction, bringing tourism back into the town’s periphery.

Read the full Pride in Place report to explore the ideas and priorities shared by residents that will help shape Ipswich’s future: www.jackabbott.org/pride-in-place