Charity Name: METHERINGHAM SWIMMING POOL Charity Number: 1185436
Trustees' Annual Report & Financial Statements for the Period 06 April 2024 to 05 April 2025
Reference & Administration Details
Charity name: Metheringham Swimming Pool
Registration Number: 1185436
Address :
Metheringham Swimming Pool Princes Street Metheringham
Lincoln LN4 3BX
Trustee names
In the period 06 April 2024-05 April 2025 there have been 7 Trustees who are all involved in managing the Charity
Melanie Wright – Chairperson
Karen Rymer – Secretary
Ian Holmes - Treasurer
Terence Wright – Site Manager
Nicola Duncan – Lifeguard manager/RAF Liaison
Ruth Hunter-Leith – Events & Social Media Lead
Claire Finney – Fundraising Lead
Structure Governance & Management
What are the Charity’s Trusts Metheringham Swimming Pool has the right to manage the land on which the Swimming Pool is built, through a Memorandum of Understanding with Metheringham Parish Council. The buildings on the site are in its Trust.
Type of Governing Document Metheringham Swimming Pool is governed by a Constitution
How the Charity is Constituted
Metheringham Swimming Pool is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation
Trustee Selection Methods:
Trustees serve for a period of 2 years. There are no less than 4 & no more than 7 Trustees.
The Governance & Management of the CIO is defined in the Constitution as follows:
Apart from the first charity trustees, every trustee must be appointed for a term of two years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.
How New Trustees are Inducted & Trained
The existing charity trustees will make available to each new charity trustee, on or before his or her first appointment:
a copy of the current version of the constitution; and
a copy of the CIO’s latest Trustees’ Annual Report and statement of accounts.
Induction and training will be provided by the secretary in a separate session, not less than one week before the first meeting which the new Trustee attends.
Objects
Summary of the Purposes of the Charity.
The Objects (purposes) of Metheringham Swimming Pool CIO stated in the constitution are:
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The advancement of amateur sport.
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The promotion of community participation in healthy recreation, for the benefit of the inhabitants of Metheringham and the surrounding area, by the provision of facilities for swimming and swimming lessons.
Statutory Declaration on Public Benefit
The trustees declare that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission in exercising their powers or duties.
Executive Summary
In the Financial Year 6[th] April 2024 to 5[th] April 2025 the Trustees have met formally on a regular basis (a minimum of bi-monthly) to review the financial controls and continue with ongoing training for the Trustees in accordance with the specific guidance from the Charity Commission. The 2024 season allowed for growth in several areas after the consolidation in the 2023 season. The usual activities were enhanced by new groups coming to use the pool, with a total footfall of over 11,500.
The achievements of the 2024 season are detailed below. The pool continues to go from strength to strength, reaching new sections of the community and allowing swimmers of all ages, from babies to octogenarians to improve their health & strength in an outdoor setting. All this has been achieved in the face of increasing running costs and this is largely due to the time & effort donated by the Trustees, Committee & Volunteers.
Activities & Achievements
Summary of Pool Activities April-September 2024
April 2024: Following the pre-season water treatment and checks by Carl Bradley, the pool opened on 1[st] April for cold water swims. One of our adult swimmers (who is a very experienced cold-water swimmer) ran a series of induction sessions which included a safety briefing. The swims were very successful with over £1000 of credits purchased and over 150 swims taking place. A new group of swimmers at the pool was formed (called the Megpool Mermaids ) directly as a result of this activity. The insurance boiler inspection and annual pre-season service were carried out and everything was in order. The pool was heated from 25[th] April ready for the RAFA V50 challenge. This took place in the last week in April when a team of Adult Swimmers swam the equivalent of over 50 miles between them in a week.
May 2024: Lifeguard training took place on 4[th] May 2024 and Rachael from Jubilee Park organised a 2- hour competency test and refresher training at the pool. 3 of our existing lifeguards plus one new lifeguard attended and passed the session. Their contracts are being reviewed to ensure we are compliant with the latest legislation, including the uplift in holiday pay. The grand opening of the season was celebrated with a day of half-price Meg-a-Swims on the May Bank Holiday Monday (6[th] May) and were well attended despite the weather. The Pool’s own Swimming Lessons and Junior Lifeguard course started on Wednesday afternoons with Swimming Teacher Hazel. In the first 8 weeks, over 1200 swimmers used the pool – with more people coming to sit on the poolside. Lots of people visited our stall at the Parish Meeting on 8[th] May and shared their reminiscences with us about the time they spent using & managing the pool in the past, showing how well loved the pool has been, and still is, by the villagers of Metheringham. We were invited by NKDC to apply for a grant from the REPF for improving the changing rooms. They approached us because of the excellent reputation Metheringham Swimming Pool has at District Council level.
June 2024: The warm weather helped to increase visitor numbers; thanks to the flexibility of lifeguards & volunteers we were able to respond to the warm weather and put on extra Open Swims. We also opened extra adult Swims where we could. All this this offset the sessions when we had fewer people in the pool. Wednesday night Swimming lessons were well attended, and the Junior Lifeguards session increased in numbers. Our Junior Volunteers group was re-launched for 2024 on 1[st] June. A small but dedicated number turned up and were trained in the duties they would need to carry out. Reece A prepared materials for the session. The school swimming lessons started and the children from the school took part in a sponsored “Splash-a-thon” event on 29[th] June, organised by lead fundraiser Claire, supported by Simone. The event was a great success with children from every year-group taking part and over £1600 was raised for the pool. One of our Adult swimmers ran a Meditation and Swim session for the summer solstice on 22[nd] June and this was well attended. We were very happy to get positive results from our grant applications. Heath Farm Energy once again awarded us a grant towards the heating costs, (this year they awarded us £1500), and at the end of June we were delighted to receive the good news that we had been awarded a grant of £25,000 by NKDC from the REPF for improving the changing rooms.
July 2024: We pulled out all the stops out in the sunny weather to maximise the use of the pool. In just 4 days at the start of the school summer holidays we had had over 600 swimmers bringing in over £3000. This balance the sessions earlier in the year when we stayed open even through there were not many swimmers booked. In the same time-frame we welcomed a lot of new users to the pool – over 180 new sign-ups for pool accounts in 4 days. The school swimming lessons were very successful this year and the annual Meg Primary School Year 6 party was well attended. The filtration system coped very well with a new challenge when a large amount of grass cuttings were blown into the water when the air ambulance landed on the playing field – definitely a first for the pool! Another lifeguard joined the team, making a very strong team of 5 – putting the pool in a very strong position. We also received £1000 from a grant application to the STA to add more sessions for elderly swimmers and people with learning & sensory disabilities.
August 2024: The usual sessions continued in the summer holidays and additional Parent & Child & Open swims were added on Tuesday and Thursdays. Private bookings increased as the weather improved. A final Meg-a-Swim day, on the Bank Holiday Monday was well attended. The Trustees had site meetings with the architect and a builder who advised us on what is possible for the proposed refurbishment in 2025. The STA grant allowed us to add more sessions for elderly swimmers and people with learning & sensory disabilities. We received some lovely emails of thanks from people who have benefitted from the subsidised swims. A very successful Midnight Swim for adults was held on 19[th] August. The promised full moon did make a brief appearance, and midnight swims for the full-moons will be repeated next season.
September 2024: An end of season swim was held on 7[th] September for the Junior Volunteers, who were each presented with a certificate of achievement by the group leader Reece, and Chairperson Mel. Two young people have used their time at the pool towards their Duke of Edinburgh Award qualification. The adult volunteers came to an end of season “thank you” swim and social on Friday 13[th] September and were thanked for all their efforts this season. Between them they had covered over 500 hours in the Tuckshop and nearly 300 hours taking the pool covers off in the morning & putting them on at night. Volunteers have also spent hours maintaining the hedges, cutting the grass, emptying the bins and tidying up the site throughout the season. There were 40 bookings for the Doggy Swims, which took place after the pool was
closed for human swimming this year, on 14[th] & 15[th] September. As ever we liaised with the NKDC EH team to produce the risk assessment for this event. This year some changes were implemented including purchase of a new ramp and additional information & instructions were issued to participants and volunteers. The event passed off smoothly and our four-legged swimmers had a great time. We were absolutely delighted that our MP, Caroline Johnson, not only wrote in support of the grant application but also came to the pool to meet the volunteers, to see for herself what we are doing. She spent over an hour looking round and asking about the proposed refurbishment.
Overall, we were open for 24 weeks in the 2024 Season and we had over 10,000 swimmers in the pool during that time, averaging over 400 a week! For a small community pool run entirely by volunteers this is an amazing figure and we are so grateful to all the people who came along to swim and to our loyal band of volunteers who made it happen by donating hours of their time in the Tuckshop and behind the scenes.
Like so many organisations we have been hit by the rising gas prices, and it has cost us over £20,000 just to heat the pool this year. As a small community pool, we are not eligible for the heating grants which are offered to the larger swimming pools.
Fundraising Activities
Volunteers continue to run a Tuckshop at the Dunston Comedy Night in the off season, which brings in additional revenue. Metheringham Primary School children participated in the 2[nd] “Splash-a-thon sponsored swim, organised by fundraiser Claire, and raised over £1600 for the pool.
Olivia organised the annual Halloween Trail from the pool on 31[st] October and raised £30.
Grants Received
Secretary Karen successfully applied for funding from Heath Farm Energy (part of Future Boigas) and received £1500 towards the cost of the heating. The pool also received a grant from the STA which enabled us to offer subsidised swimming to elderly swimmers and younger swimmers with sensory disabilities. We were awarded £25,000 from the NKDC REPF to start the refurbishment of the changing rooms and in December 2024 we heard the fantastic news that we had been awarded £85,521 from the FCC Communities Foundation to complete the project.
MoU Review
The review of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Trustees and Metheringham Parish Council was finally signed at the Parish Council Meeting in September 2024 and the Parish Council has stated their intention to extend the agreement for a further 5 years.
Pool Management Committee & Trustees
The management committee has welcomed new members in 2024. The current membership is as follows:
| Trustees | Committee members |
|---|---|
| Mel - Chairperson Karen R – Secretary Ian - Treasurer Terry –Site manager Nikki – Lifeguard Manager/RAF Liaison Ruth – Social Media/Events Claire - Fundraising |
Shaz – Tuckshop Volunteers Olivia – NKDC Lottery Reece – Junior Volunteers Karen B – Cold Water Swimmers Sarah – Adult Swimmers Steve – Website Glynn – RAF Projects |
Exemptions from Disclosure
There are no exemptions from disclosure applied to Metheringham Swimming Pool CIO.
Use of Volunteers
All people associated with the Pool are volunteers, only the lifeguards receive a salary.
Volunteers are not paid, they donate their services in maintenance, running the tuckshop etc. Their contribution to the pool cannot be quantified in the financial sense however they are crucial to its running and future success. It is imperative that the work of the Trustees and the running of the CIO is transparent at all times, so the Volunteers know that they remain at the heart of the Charity’s structure.
Performance Data
The data for the 2024 season (1[st] May to 15[th] September 2024) is detailed in the table below:
| Performance Data The data for the 2024 season (1stMay to 15thSeptember |
Performance Data The data for the 2024 season (1stMay to 15thSeptember |
|---|---|
| May to September 2024 | |
| Activity | Numbers Participating *=estimated |
| Footfall non-swimmers | 1500* |
| Open Swims | 3474 |
| Adults | 1445 |
| Mega Swims +Family Fun | 386 |
| Parent & Child | 422 |
| Parent & Toddler | 114 |
| Private Bookings (76) | 1590* |
| Regular Groups (WI- Gables-Zumba) |
735 |
| Swimming Lessons | 160 |
| School Swimming Lessons (whole school 5 weeks) |
1365* |
| Events (splash-a-fun) | 200 |
| Junior Lifeguards_(14 per week)_ | 112 |
| Doggy Swim | 40 |
| Total | 11,543 |
Financial Review
Statement of the Charity’s Policy on Reserves
The reserves that we have set aside provide financial stability and the means for the development of our principal activity. We intend to maintain our reserves at a level which is at least equivalent to £3500 which is the amount required for initial opening of the pool in the 2025 season before revenue is generated.
This will cover:
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Boiler Service
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I month Gas/Electricity/Water Bills
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Any required water treatment & repairs following over-wintering procedures.
In the financial report which is given by the Treasurer at every management meeting, the Trustees of Metheringham Swimming Pool review the amount of reserves that are required to ensure that they are adequate to fulfil our continuing obligations.
Details of any Funds Materially in Deficit
The Trustees declare that the charity had no funds which were materially in deficit at the date of the statement of assets & liabilities.
State of the Charity’s Finances
In the financial period 06-04-2024 to 05-04-2025 the income of the Charity was £87,369 and expenditure was £88,660. There is very little income accrued in the months between October 2024 and March 2025 as the Pool is not open.
In May 2021 Metheringham Swimming Pool entered into a formal agreement with Mr S Rymer, a connected person to Trustee Karen Rymer, to pay a monthly fee in respect of coding and managing the Metheringham Swimming Pool website. This decision was made in accordance with the Charity Commission rules. The monthly fee for the service is less than half the going rate for such services. The remaining trustees made the decision and approved a written agreement. The agreement is renewed annually to ensure the costs still meet the Charity commission requirements and Mrs Rymer recuses herself from the meeting for the purpose of this discussion.
Restricted Funds
Metheringham Swimming Pool CIO did not hold any restricted funds in the financial period 01-042023 to 31-03-2024
Designated Funds
There were no designated funds in the financial period 06-04-2024 to 05-04-2025
Particulars of any Outstanding Guarantee given by the Charity
The Trustees declare that the charity has given no guarantee where potential liability is outstanding at the date of the statement of assets & liabilities.
Particulars of any Outstanding Debt
The Trustees declare that the charity has no outstanding debts which are secured by an express charge on any of the assets of the charity at the date of the statement of assets & liabilities.
Declaration
The Trustees declare that they have approved the above report and authorised that it be signed on their behalf.
Signed
K Rymer
Secretary
Metheringham Swimming Pool Trustees
25-01-26
| tNcollNG | OUTGOING | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AduttSwim | L5,704.87 | 80.00 | ||
| GeneralSwim | t15,355.04 | t280.00 | ||
| MidnightSwim | L149.49 | L8.75 | ||
| SwimmingLessons | Ll,725.74 | [841.8s | ||
| JuniorLifeguard | f1 58.59 | e0.00 | ||
| Baby &ToddterSwim | f.1,473.95 | 80.00 | ||
| Sptashathon | t1,059.00 | t0.00 | ||
| MegaSwim | L542.98 | 80.00 | ||
| Private&PartyBookings | L6,847.34 | t0.00 | ||
| Zumba PootHire | f490.00 | e0.00 | ||
| Metheringham Primary | ||||
| Schoolweekdaytessons | t3,000.00 | r0.00 | ||
| DoggySwim | L349.66 | e0.00 | ||
| Merchandise | L321.56 | L19?-.00 | ||
| Tuckshop | f8,354.19 | 84,063.23 | ||
| Donations | t3,939.96 | f,0.00 | ||
| NKDCLotterylncome | f.1,?78.04 | t0.00 | ||
| Special Events | t1,680.00 | t96s.00 | ||
| Grants &Awards | L27,500.00 | t0.00 | ||
| Gas | t0.00 | [16,638.43 | ||
| Etectricity | f,0.00 | L2,790.76 | ||
| Water | r0.00 | t508.80 | ||
| Phone,lnternet&Website | r0.00 | Ll,375.40 | ||
| Bank,Accountancyft | ||||
| Corrections | L1,582.87 | L2,350.52 | ||
| RepairsMaintenance& | ||||
| Equipment | L?8.16 | L5,645.18 | ||
| Miscettaneous | L338.44 | t903.81 | ||
| Lifeguard | t0.00 | L6,977.61 | ||
| Refurbishment | t5,340.00 | L40,469.62 | ||
| ParishCounciILoan | r0.00 | f,5,150.00 | ||
| Banklnterest | 8149.93 | t0.00 | ||
| Totallncome | 187,369.77 | TotalExpenditure | 988,660.46 | |
| Bank balanceatO6104124 | 99,060.32 | |||
| BankBalanceatO5lO4l25 | 87,769.63 | |||
| Variance | -L1,290.69 |
| I1\LTJIVIII\LI | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| AdultSwim | t5,704.87 | t0.00 | |
| GeneralSr.vim | f15,355.04 | ,280.C)0 | |
| lvlidrightSwim | t149.49 | t8.75 | |
| Sra,imrningLessons | Lt^72574 | ,841.85 | |
| JuliorLifeguard | f158.59 | f0.00 | |
| Baby&ToddlerSwim | f[,473.95 | f0.00 | |
| Splashathon | t1.059.00 | f,0 00 | |
| Mega Swim | f.542.98 | f0.00 | |
| Private&Part1,Bookings | f6,847.34 | f0.00 | |
| Zumba PoolHire | s490.00 | L0()0 | |
| Mq{he-ringhqmPrim4r_vgchool | |||
| weekdaylessons | f3,000.00 | f0.00 | |
| Doggy Swim | {349.66 | t0.00 | |
| Merchandise | t32t.56 | fl92.00 | |
| Ttckshop | fr&,351.19 | f.4,063.23 | |
| Donations | f3,939.96 | s,0.00 | |
| NKDCLotterfLncomo | t | ,278.00 | |
| Special Events | t1,680.00 | f,965.00 | |
| Grants&Arvards | i27.500.00 | ,0.00 | |
| Gas | t0.00 | f.16,638.43 | |
| Electricity | t0.00 | fr2,290.26 | |
| Water | f 0.00 | f508.80 | |
| Phone, Internet&Website | f0.00 | t1,37s.40 | |
| Bank, Accountancy& | |||
| CorrectionsCosts | t1,582.87 | f23sa.52 | |
| Repairs Maintenance& | |||
| Equipment | f28.16 | ,5,645.l8 | |
| NliscCosts | t33844 | f9t6"12 | |
| LifeguardCosts | f0.00 | t6,977.61 | |
| RefurbishmentCosts | f,5,340.00 | t40,469.62 | |
| ParishCouncilLoan | f0.00 | t5,150.00 | |
| BantInterest | t149.93 | t0.00 | |
| Total Income | i87,369.77 | ||
| Bank balanceat06fi4/24 | f,9,060.32 | ||
| Total | t96.430.09 | ||
| Total | f88,673.07 |