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SPN APR 2011 IndustryNews


www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk


POOLS URGED TO SWITCH COSTS TO PRIVATE SECTOR


Simon Hubble and Paul Robinson from the new style Flexflooring Ltd


FLEXFLOORING – A NEW NAME IN SAFETY SURFACING!


Flexflooring Ltd has emerged as a new name in safety surfacing following a re-structure and re- branding of Poolsafe Ltd, the well known flooring company based in Maidstone.


Simon Hubble, Flexflooring’s new Technical Sales Director explained: “The time was right to bring on board new investors with operational and financial management experience, as well as to create a brand that not only works with our customer base within the swimming pool sector, but allows us to reflect our work with other markets including flooring for splash pads, interactive water features, children’s play areas and golf pathways.” Flexflooring will continue to offer safety surfacing products and services including Rubbaflex rubber flooring and the company has taken over the exclusive distribution of UltraTUFF™ pool and deck coating in the UK and Europe.


Paul Robinson is the Managing


Director of Flexflooring and he sees a positive road ahead. “Flexflooring has a great portfolio of products, uses the highest quality raw materials, and has a wealth of technical experience and continued customer support post installation.” The company’s headquarters will remain in Maidstone, but Flexflooring will continue to offer their unique safety surfacing products and services throughout the UK. A new website is already in operation and will be fully functional, with additional safety information and technical specifications later this year. Flexflooring has recently completed installations at Paultons Park for Peppa Pig World, an Indoor basement pool for private clients in central London and work at Barmouth Bay Holiday Park and Sandylands Holiday Resort.


i FOR FURTHER INFORMATION


F FLEXFLOORING LTD ( 01622 747909 : www.flexflooring.co.uk


Swimming pools can be saved from closure in the Government’s tough cuts programme by outsourcing running costs to the private sector. Civic bosses in Manchester announced earlier this year that three leisure centres and five swimming pools will have to close in a bid to make savings.


While other authorities up and down the country plan to axe pools and leisure services, one council says it has found an answer.


Southampton City Council has ‘offloaded the pain’ to the private sector through a decision to outsource the management of the city’s pools, leisure centres and hundreds of jobs.


And they say they are not only protecting services – which have suffered a succession of cutbacks,


with some venues kept alive by council subsidy – but have come up with a way to improve them. The council entered into a 15-year lease with Active Nation, a charitable arm of private leisure operator DC Leisure, to run six sports centres and swimming pools.


At the same time up to 500 staff also transferred out of council employment to the new operators – a move which saved the council up to £400,000 a year by reducing running costs.


The move also aims to increase the amount of people using council leisure facilities by up to 15% in five years.


It also means that the leisure staff who moved will not face pay cuts this year in line with their former colleagues at the local authority.


CREMATORIUM ENERGY TO HEAT COUNCIL SWIMMING POOL?


A council wants to save money by heating a leisure centre and swimming pool using heat generated by the crematorium next door. Redditch council says it can save £14,500 a year by warming its new pool at the Abbey Stadium sports centre with heat from the crematorium’s incinerators that would otherwise be lost.


The council has held briefing meetings with faith groups, funeral directors and members of the public to discuss the scheme. Council leader Carole Gandy defended the plans, saying it would save money and energy. “I’d much rather use the energy rather than just see it going out of the chimney and heating the sky. It will make absolutely no difference to the people who are using the crematorium for services.” If approved, the heating scheme will be the first of its kind in Britain.


CAMPAIGN STARTS TO SAVE POOL WHERE JOHN LENNON SWAM


A campaign has been launched to save the historic Victorian plunge baths in Liverpool where John Lennon learned to swim.


Two primary school children are leading the bid to reopen the pool after its closure in October last year. Jake Sullivan, 10, and Elian McClements, nine, are leading the campaign along with television presenter, Simon O’Brien to get Woolton Swimming Baths re-opened. They made a submission to a council meeting at Liverpool Town Hall. The decision to close the baths was made in the squeeze on local government funding. Jake and Elian’s appeal drew applause from all political


groups, as the pupils presented their petition of 2,000 signatures to save the building. Support has come from across the world, with emails of support from people in Switzerland and Australia.


Jake explained why the baths were a vital part of Woolton community. He said: “We can’t go to the other pools because they are too far away and we wouldn’t feel safe.”


Simon O’Brien, the ex-Brookside star, who the boys invited to participate in the campaign, added: “Yes, it costs, but we think its usage justifies the cost. This is a pool that taught Olympic bronze medallist, Stephen


Parry and Beatles legend, John Lennon how to swim. These baths are part of this great city’s history.”


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