Deepings Swimming Club left devastated by permanent closure of Deepings Leisure Centre

A swimming club community has been left devastated after losing its home of 45 years.

When the Deepings Leisure Centre suddenly closed in 2021, the town swimming club found itself without a base.

During the past four years there were a number of lifelines promised and a well-supported campaign by residents, which gave hope that the neglected pool would reopen once again.

But last week campaigners revealed they had reached the end of the road with the project and plans to demolish the site were revealed by owner Lincolnshire County Council.

Steve Smith, on behalf of the Deepings Swimming Club, said: “It is clear our hopes of a return to Deepings Leisure Centre or a local replacement have now been dashed permanently.

“As a club we exist in name still, but without a home pool to train in within the Deepings it is hard to see how we can guarantee our future for another 45 years.”

The club had an average of 120 swimmers aged from eight to 71 training at the Park Road pool up to five days per week.

It has seen substantial success over the years, producing a string of national and international swimmers including paralympic gold medallist Rob Welbourn, who swam a short course world record time in the Deepings pool.

Steve said: “We believe that the Deepings Leisure Centre and its pool was an asset worth the investment needed to sustain it.

“We fully understand the extent of the building’s disrepair, but the fact the building’s condition had been allowed to deteriorate to the extent it had to close was not our swimmers’ fault, and did nothing over the many years of decline to inhibit their dreams or reduce their aspirations.”

The leaks from the roof - the initial reason for the leisure centre’s closure - also damaged the equipment belonging to the club worth thousands of pounds, including its £8,000 timing system and its starting blocks.

With no fixed home Steve describes the club as ‘nomadic’, which adds to members’ costs and causes an ‘enormous inconvenience'.

Training sessions are now run at Stamford Endowed School’s memorial and junior school pools, Stamford and Bourne leisure centre and Stanground Pool, with outdoor venues added in the summer months.

He said: “We are of course grateful to the pools which have found us water time and thank them all but none of these can, in the foreseeable future, be seen as a single permanent home as Deepings Leisure Centre once was.”

Despite the latest setback, coaches and members of the club are determined not to give up.

“Our swimmers regularly compete and win medals at galas all over the country. They participate, foster a great team spirit and through this form firm lasting friendships,” added Steve.

“The club has an equally important social function for its parents, as we celebrate swimmers’ achievements and party with their friends and parents.

“It is clear therefore that the loss of the facility could, if the club were not to carry on, damage more than just our members’ physical wellbeing.”