www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
Pool&SpaIndustry APR 2011 SPN
29
LOOKING BACK TO SPATA’S BEGINNINGS
SPATA is compiling a history of the trade association. In this, the first of two articles, we look back at the formation of the Association of Swimming Pool Contractors (ASPC) and its development into SPATA
SPATA I
n a room at the Farmers’ Club in London on 21 April 1961, six companies made a small but significant contribution to the future of the UK pool industry. Described in the minutes as “Messrs Gilbert, Pritchard, Rutherford, Gilliam, Gibson and the secretary Mr Parrott” they decided to set up the Association of Swimming Pool Contractors, with full membership for pool builders at a subscription of £25 a year, and associate membership at £12.50. The need to call for an advertising levy was envisaged. The first chairman was Sam Pritchard, and Robert Rutherford was vice chairman. The second meeting did not take place until June 1962, due to delays in getting the name registered by the then Board of Trade, which objected to the use of the word “National”. Some founder members wondered whether to drop the idea altogether. It was noted that, although only one further application for membership had been received, they still represented 90% of the industry and they should therefore persevere with their aims of establishing basic voluntary construction standards for members and conditions of contract to safeguard both contractors and pool buyers. A Technical Committee comprising Messrs Godden, Gilliam and Rutherford was appointed to “rough out the details” as the minutes casually put it. It was to take five years to complete this roughing out! The first annual general meeting took place on 31 January 1964.
Early plans to recruit members met with a slow initial response. Among the earliest successful applicants for full membership were, in 1963,
Garden Swimming Pools (Surrey) Ltd and F J Brickell and Sons Ltd. The Trusson and Brickell families, as well as the Rutherfords, were to play major roles in the association and are still represented among the membership. By 1967, membership had reached 16 full members and 26 associates, and. the following year numbers had risen further to 26 full members, 34 affiliates and eight associate members. An interesting footnote to the membership story is a letter sent by the secretary, Norman Parrott, to council members on 6 February 1969, about an application from a Peter Geekie ‘Swimming Pool Specialist’. Noting that Mr Geekie’s was a mainly sales company selling above-ground pools supplied by both members and non-members, he asked for guidance on the precedent of admitting to membership a retail organisation selling to the public, rather than a supplier to the industry.
The work on developing the first set of standards was carried out by the technical sub- committee led by Robert Rutherford. The standards were issued publicly later that year, and became the vehicle for publicity and recognition for the association. By late 1969, over 1,000 copies had been requested and distributed. It was recognised that the standards would need continual review and updating, and a number of specialist sub-committees were set up to carry this out. This covered filtration, covered heated pools, and winterisation. Advertising and publicity were a priority, supported by a levy on members, with the aim of promoting the new association, attracting members, and promoting the standards. Space was taken annually in the Times and Financial Times, as well as Country Life and Illustrated London News. The membership reflected the wider spread of industry interests, and it was decided to recognise this in 1971 by changing the association’s name to The Swimming Pool and Allied Trades Association. The new name was incorporated in July 1971, and became effective from the beginning of 1972.
An annual conference was a major ambition,
and the idea was mooted of organising a banquet and an exhibition as part of the first conference held at the Metropole Hotel in Brighton in March 1973. The exhibition was not proceeded with. The original SPATA logo was launched in 1973 and the SPATA Seal of Approval, which was awarded to individual products supplied to the industry by manufacturers and suppliers, came into use during the mid-70s. It was re-launched in 1978, and continued into the 1980s. Consideration was given to introducing a SPATA Bond, to cover claims against member firms, but it was dropped in view of the difficulties involved. The SPATA Awards were introduced in 1977. This came from a suggestion by Peter Geekie; who was a member of the Promotions Committee at the time, and the first awards were presented at the Metropole Hotel in Brighton on 13 February 1978.
A significant step was taken in 1979 to set up the Institute of Swimming Pool Engineers. The appointment of Jim New as General Secretary in 1979 marked the first full-time appointment of an executive solely dedicated to SPATA.
Part Two – SPATA’s history from the 1980s to the present.
If anyone has information or anecdotes on the history and development of SPATA then let us know by contacting the SPATA office on 01264 356210
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