Portishead Open Air Pool

The Portishead Open Air Pool is now being managed by the Portishead Pool Community Trust, and is no longer a North Somerset Council facility. The pool is operated by teams of volunteers, together with paid Pool Manager and Life Guard staff. To be kept up-to-date on all pool news, please subscribe to the regular email newsletters; the link for this is also on the Get Involved page. To contribute your ideas, pictures,and anything on the pool, please click this link.

Lifeguards wanted for Portishead Open Air Pool from early April until October 2012.

Salary / Hours of work: 10-36 hours per week. £5.93 per hour depending on experience and in line with the national minimum wage.

The main purpose of these posts is to supervise the security and safety of the public in all areas of the facility, carry out rescues if required, assist the pool/duty manager in the preparation of the pool in a professional manner.
All posts will require a CRB check and will require a current National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ).

For further details / job descriptions, please view/download the job descriptions: Lifeguard job description

Please send a CV, highlighting how you meet the essential requirements for the post, with the names of two referees, and a covering letter to:
Portishead Pool Community Trust c/o 20 Denny View, Portishead BS20 8BT.
Closing date for applications: Wednesday 1st March 2012
Provisional interview dates: Tueday 6th March (PM) or Thursday 8th March 2012

We are planning to hold a Mini Olympics from 9th-21st July 2012.  The pool will be holding a number of swimming and other pool related events during this time for both children and adults.  The children's events will be run via interested schools (each school representing a country) with a medal ceremony being held at the pool at the end.  We are also hoping that clubs will come forward to volunteer to hold a Mini-Olympic event around this time so we can really get into the spirit of the Olympics.

The official opening day is set for 21 April, the 50th anniversary of the pool opening, but we are planning to have maintenance works finished by the end of March, so if we have a warm spring like last year, we will make every effort to have the pool open for swimming earlier.

Season tickets for 2012 are now available.  Please download the application form by going to our Prices and Tickets page and clicking on the link.

The December issue of the Portishead Open Air Pool eNewsletter is out now. Click here to download your copy.

If you are not already on our email list, click this link: http://www.portisheadopenairpool.org.uk/lists/?p=subscribe to ensure that you get all future editions.

In order to ensure safety and to allow everyone to get into the water on very busy days, we will be implementing the following procedure:

• The site can accommodate 500 people but when the pool reaches bathing capacity, which is up to 120 when we have three lifeguards, we will stop people entering the main pool and erect a temporary barrier at the entry and exit of the pool area. These will be manned by volunteers in orange shirts. 
• People wanting to swim will need to form a queue from the poolside entry point (nearest to the changing room exit). The queue will run down the outside of the railings towards the old diving boards and so on. 
• A klaxon will be sounded and everyone in the water must get out to the far side. This will be organised by a volunteer (orange shirt) or a lifeguard (yellow shirt) under the direction of the Duty Manager. 
• When the pool is empty of swimmers, the next batch of up to 120 will be allowed into the water for their 20 minute session. 
• The person with the red shirt is the duty manager of the day and those in yellow shirts are lifeguards. Everyone must obey any instructions from these personnel who are there to ensure your safety. 
• When the site, ie the whole venue, has reached its capacity of 500, we will operate a one out, one in policy at reception and there will be a notice or announcements outside to that effect.

William Hunter has analysed pool water temperatures for the last three years; these figures clearly show the improvement in both the temperature itself, and the reduced temperature fluctuations, since the Trust took over the pool in 2009. The installation of the insulated pool cover in 2009, used when the pool is closed, has made a significant impact on temperature management.

Pool water temperature chart for 2010
Pool water temperature chart for 2011

 William has also produced some short videos entitled: 'Saving the Pool', 'The wood pellet boiler' and 'Winter work at the Pool 2010/11', and a poster produced for the 'Name the Boiler' competition 

The Trust would like supporters of the pool to become Members of the Trust.

There are two categories of membership: a £10.00 Annual Membership, and a Founder Membership of £250.00. The Founder Membership confers lifetime membership of the Trust, and will help the Trust raise some much needed funds during the first years as a community-run organization, as the Trust repair and improve the pool. As a Member, you will have:

• the right to vote,
• the right to stand for election to the committee,
• the right to have a real say in the future direction of the pool now it has been saved. 

For more information, please download the information sheet and application form.