Cleveland Pools, Britain’s oldest Lido, surpasses 700 visitors

Cleveland Pools, a historic site reopened following a multi-year project by The Cleveland Pools Trust, is celebrating its success after a multi-year, multimillion restoration project which has resulted in local swimmers returning to the Lido.

The project, which has been completed in partnership with the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Prince’s Regeneration Trust, English Heritage and Bath & North East Somerset Council, has seen more than £8m raised towards its construction and restoration of the open-air public swimming pool.

The Volunteer team behind the The Grade II* heritage attraction won ‘Volunteers of the Year’ at the Museums + Heritage Awards 2022.

In September as it reopened, slots to swim were made available to book on the Lido’s website, and its first day was fully booked within just ten minutes.

Samantha Grief, Community Engagement & Volunteer Manager at Cleveland Pools said of the Museums + Heritage Award win: “The Award and the recognition that comes with it helped keep the team energised and motivated to push towards the pool’s opening in September this year.

“From 80 year old swimmers who last swam at Cleveland Pools 40 years ago, to young children having their first swim, the local reaction has been brilliant.

“We are not ashamed to admit that many a tear of happiness was shed seeing the joy the restoration of the site has brought to people.”

The judging panel for the Museums + Heritage Awards, which selected Cleveland Pools for the Volunteer of the Year’ Award, said: “This large-scale, cross-generational group of volunteers successfully reached diverse members of the wider community, managing to bring the joy of the pools to a much wider audience!”

Grief said the team are now focusing on making sure the local community can “embrace the pools as theirs” and its volunteers “continue to be vital to the success of that”.