Rougham C of E Primary School near Bury St Edmunds reopens its outdoor pool after raising more than £60k

A school’s swimming pool has been officially reopened after a fundraising campaign to repair it smashed its target and reached more than £60,000.

Rougham Church of England Primary School headteacher Clare Clark said it was a ‘real testament’ to how important the outdoor pool is for everybody – including the wider community – that they had got to this point in just over a year.

“It’s incredible,” she added, speaking at the grand reopening of the pool at the site in Rougham, near Bury St Edmunds, today.

The pool, which is used for children’s swimming lessons and is also enjoyed by the community, had been out of use while funds were raised to repair it, with a ‘huge’ target set of £50,000.

The total achieved in the end was £63,094, according to the JustGiving page, with Active Suffolk helping the school to access some crucial final funding.

Mrs Clark said: “The swimming pool has been such an important part of life at Rougham Primary for the last 50 years.

“Hundreds of children have learned to swim here and it’s always been a hub for families to come together and enjoy over the summer months.

“We have been overwhelmed by the support we’ve received from parents, the wider community and Active Suffolk.

“It goes to show how much the pool is valued locally and we are overjoyed to have hit our goal of having it ready to open again in time for school swimming lessons this year.”

The funding is a mixture of school fundraising events, parents, local community donors, parish councils and grants.

After seeing the school’s fundraising appeal, Active Suffolk contacted the school and facilitated applying for the remaining vital funding it needed of almost £20,000 from the Opening Schools Facilities Funding.

The Opening Schools Facilities Funding from the Department of Education was created to support schools to open their sporting facilities for their local community and school users outside of the normal school day.

Gareth Davies, director of Active Suffolk, said: "Active Suffolk are delighted to have been able to facilitate the opportunity for Rougham Church of England Primary School to access the crucial final funding they needed to repair and refurbish their swimming pool through the Opening Schools Facilities Funding.

"We at Active Suffolk are acutely aware of many of the barriers and challenges that many schools often face when opening their facilities for community use.

“However, we know that these barriers are not insurmountable and that the benefits that this school, its pupils, staff, and their wider community will be able to access from this wonderful refurbishment are going to be hugely positive.”

At the event today, the first children got to try out the newly-refurbished pool, which opens again tomorrow. It is open for bookings by members of the public: https://rougham-primary-swimming-pool.live.baluu.co.uk/event/swimming-pool-private-hire-1680515856

This summer the pool will also be used once again by the holiday club run by Acorns & Woodlands pre-school, next to the school.

Rougham Cllr Sara Mildmay-White cut the ribbon at the event today.