Ward Freman Community Pool Group
The Ward Freman swimming pool has been an integral part of Buntingford and surrounding villages since the 1970’s. Generations of children and adults have learnt to swim there and completed in many school and club competitions. When the district council took the decision to close the pool in December 2023 on health and safety grounds the community was surprised and saddened.
A group of local individuals have since formed the Ward Freman Community Pool Group Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), a registered charity in England and Wales (1207746) with the aim of repairing, revitalising and reopening the Ward Freman swimming pool as a community owned and run asset.
Community support for the pool is evident from a petition to keep the pool open and £890 being donated within two months to a ‘Go Fund Me’ set up by Louise Hampton following notification that the pool was to be closed.
Within three months of the closure, pool users have rallied together and after seeking the opinions, support and help of the community in a questionnaire that received 650 responses, eight trustees have volunteered themselves to lead the campaign to open the swimming pool for all to use.
The group is working hard with Hertfordshire County Council (who own the site), East Hertfordshire County Council and Everyone Active to ascertain what remedial work is required to bring the pool back into operation and how this can be funded.
Advice has been sought from other communities who have re opened their swimming pools (some from a worse situation than Ward Freman) and are thriving. The Ward Freman Community Pool Group is committed to the pool re opening, be financially self sufficient and that profits will be re invested to improve and expand facilities.
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Residents Comments
It would be a real shame for the pool to remain closed. Both my children learnt to swim there and where still using the facility till the day it closed.
Dom
Buntingford Resident
My children have learnt to swim at Ward Freman and loved the independence as teenagers to be able to walk to swimming club. They were looking forward to being able to qualify and work as lifeguards. Now they are dependent on parents to drive them to the nearest pool. We need the pool reopened NOW!
Jo W
Buntingford Resident
I and my family, children and grandchildren have used this pool since we moved here in 1976 be it duckling lessons for my children then swimming lessons then swimming club. All 4 of my grandchildren did swimming lessons and 2 of them did swimming club until they were 18, the younger 2 were not at swimming club age. I have been swimming there since my 40’s and am now 72 and swam there 4 times a week until it closed.
I know from being there constantly and knowing lots of people how devastating this closure is for all ages and for many reasons including fitness in many different levels to recuperation and people’s mental health and companionship.
Swimming is a wonderful exercise and I implore you to repair and reopen our swimming pool. It is a vital component to Buntingford.
C.W
Buntingford Resident
Since the pool has closed I now travel to Herts Sports Village after work. I tried Hartham and Fanshawe both of which caused me health issues. Ward Freeman didn't give me such health issues and was more local reducing travel time, costs, road congestion and emissions.
S.W
Regular Lane Swimmer
My son's lessons are now 20 mins drive away rather than 4 min walk and we can't go swimming regularly now, so have lost the fun and social side to swimming.
Anon
Buntingford Resident
With the pool closed my physical and mental health will continue to suffer.
K.P
Local Resident
Having arthritis, swimming is so beneficial, there are no other facilities locally.
C.R
Regular Pool User
My child is not regularly swimming which means he is not gaining confidence in the water
Anon
Parent
As a 54 year old, swimming is ideal exercise for me, but I cannot travel out of area easily. My teenage sons have enjoyed lane swimming before school, but cannot do that out of area, so can no longer continue this. We need to be encouraging young people to exercise, even as part of a fun swim / inflatable session, without our pool they cannot make an arrangement to meet up for a fun swim unless there is a parent to take them. We need this as a facility for many people including teenagers. Our schools cannot afford to transport their pupils to swim as frequently if they have to travel by coach, this has a massive affect on water confidence for the young, who will also be impacted by having to travel for private lessons.
Jo W
Buntingford Resident
With the pool closed I need to travel 10 miles into Ware, to use the swimming pool facilities.
S.M
Regular Swimmer
With the pool closed there is more car pollution as having to travel to another location and more fuel costs.
Anon
Parent of Swim School Pupil
We use Royston because I always found it difficult to contact Ward Freman, also could never get hold of them to sign up my son for swimming lessons- they need a better booking system and responsive swim school. The consequence of us having to use Royston is the travelling to and from impacts us because of time taken and impacts the environment going to Royston and back at least twice per week. We would walk up if it was at Freman. Also an increased cost in fuel which I would rather be spending on an extra swimming session in the week or weekend to support a local pool.
Anon
Local Resident
Struggling following cancer treatment and the regular visits to ward freeman really helped me
Anon
Regular Pool User
I'm a diabetic almost 60 yrs, old this is not good for my health. Regular exercise in the pool was extremely beneficial for me and now I am no longer swimming.
S.T
Regular Pool user
I moved here quite recently and had hoped to start swimming, with lock down never quite got round to it. Having a local pool would be ideal
S.S
Local Resident
I travel to Ware (Fanshawe pool) for children’s swimming lessons. This obviously has a local impact on traffic and pollution. I could walk easily to Ward Freeman. If everyone is travelling by car out of Buntingford it adds to the overall level of traffic and has the added impact on pollution.
H.W
Parent of Swim School Pupil
With Ward Freman closed we use Fanshaw, it’s at least a 45 min round trip and too crowded.
Anon
Parent of Swim School Pupil
I used to swim 2 times a week I would do 60 lengths in about 40 minutes. I was really fit, then the pool became very run down and 5 times in a row I came away with infections that took weeks to shake off and I stopped swimming entirely and no where near as fit and lost contact with all the lovely ladies that used to swim at the same time as me. I feel mentally and physically I'm much worse off. I'm now overweight and on more and more medication to cope with anxiety and depression
Anon
Former Pool User
My son who has multiple health issues can no longer learn to swim, also I have cancer and can't drive so can't take them anywhere else or go for gentle exercise anymore.
S.L
Buntingford Resident
One child has had to stop swimming completely. The other is in Hertford, which is a 50 minute round trip making it very late on a school night. Potentially due to this, if it effects school, we will have to stop swimming for both children which is very disappointing. Both my husband and I have had to stop swimming completely as we can't take that much time, or cost for fuel to get to Hertford.
Anon
Family of Swimmers
I haven't been using Ward Freman because the pool is shut when I would use it, I have to travel to Royston Leisure centre instead. I would rather use my own town pool and could cycle there or walk.
A.A
Buntingford Resident
We are now having to drive to Ware instead of walking to Freman, increasing C02 footprint. Obviously also more hassle and less convenient.
Anon
Local Resident
Swimming is a life skill, having a local pool for our children is key for working parents. We had weekly lessons and loved the fact the children could come free of charge on other days, giving them a safe environment in a form of exercise.
Anon
Aspenden Resident
With the pool closed we can no longer can enjoy the water as a family. I have a autistic daughter that was very use to the pool.
Anon
Buntingford Resident
Transport is so bad here it is not possible to use most of the other pools unless you drive
R.B
Puckeridge Resident
We moved to Ware swimming pool but it is not going to be possible to manage long term so it is likely we will stop going. My daughter has stopped all together.
H.B
Parent of Swim School Pupil
I have Fibromyalgia, which is a chronic pain condition. Gentle exercise such as swimming is very beneficial for managing pain. The other pools are too far away for me to use as I get exhausted easily.
T.H
No Longer Swimming
There is a lack of facilities for local children - which is a huge concern - some parents don’t have the means to travel to other areas for swimming lessons, so these children will miss out - it’s costly and time consuming for parents and very inconvenient. As a growing town our children should have the facility to learn to swim locally
Anon
Buntingford Resident
My children used the pool every year until they reached the highest level and with school, this is the most important use of the pool. All children should have the opportunity to learn to swim close by. I can only imagine the impact of not having a pool in Buntingford will have on the children of Buntingford and how many of them, will not have this essential life and safety skill. Having to travel will not be an option to everyone to get their children to lessons. If schools have to take children to pools outside the area for lessons this will only impact on their school day and learning time reduced.
A.B
Buntingford Resident
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