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| Community-owned pool in Leeds marks New Year's Day revival with fancy dress plunge | Community-owned pool in Leeds marks New Year's Day revival with fancy dress plunge |
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| Some people like to start the New Year with a bracing dip in the cold of the North Sea, no doubt to bolster their freshly-made resolutions. But at noon on this New Year's Day, campaigners who helped to secure the future of one of the north's last remaining Edwardian bathhouses will mark the beginning of 2013 in a different way. | Some people like to start the New Year with a bracing dip in the cold of the North Sea, no doubt to bolster their freshly-made resolutions. But at noon on this New Year's Day, campaigners who helped to secure the future of one of the north's last remaining Edwardian bathhouses will mark the beginning of 2013 in a different way. |
| The date is the first day of community ownership of Bramley Baths in Leeds and it will see an attempt by those involved to start a new tradition – with a noon plunge into the warm waters of the pool in their fanciest dress. | The date is the first day of community ownership of Bramley Baths in Leeds and it will see an attempt by those involved to start a new tradition – with a noon plunge into the warm waters of the pool in their fanciest dress. |
| The Friends of Bramley Baths group has taken over management of Bramley Baths from cash-strapped Leeds City Council, which in its next fiscal year faces crippling £51 million of cuts and savings. | The Friends of Bramley Baths group has taken over management of Bramley Baths from cash-strapped Leeds City Council, which in its next fiscal year faces crippling £51 million of cuts and savings. |
| Bramley Baths is the first not-for-profit, community-led social enterprise in the area to provide affordable fitness, health and fun to the West Leeds community and to provide employment for a professional team including swimming teachers, lifeguards and fitness instructors. | Bramley Baths is the first not-for-profit, community-led social enterprise in the area to provide affordable fitness, health and fun to the West Leeds community and to provide employment for a professional team including swimming teachers, lifeguards and fitness instructors. |
| The resurgent Bramley Baths will open in the 109-year-old building for 49 hours per week, providing regular access to swimming, gym facilities, fitness classes and social activities. Alongside the public programme and swimming lessons for children from 14 local schools, the Friends will establish opportunities for professional development and volunteering, including an innovative lifeguard training programme for young people in the local area. | The resurgent Bramley Baths will open in the 109-year-old building for 49 hours per week, providing regular access to swimming, gym facilities, fitness classes and social activities. Alongside the public programme and swimming lessons for children from 14 local schools, the Friends will establish opportunities for professional development and volunteering, including an innovative lifeguard training programme for young people in the local area. |
| The dip marks the culmination of a concerted community campaign to save the baths, with residents as young as six and as old as 80-something taking part. The Friends recently wrote on the Beyond Guardian Leeds blog: | The dip marks the culmination of a concerted community campaign to save the baths, with residents as young as six and as old as 80-something taking part. The Friends recently wrote on the Beyond Guardian Leeds blog: |
| For the past 18 months, we've been working together to plan a community business; raising funds and recruiting a professional team. | For the past 18 months, we've been working together to plan a community business; raising funds and recruiting a professional team. |
| We've worked through a number of complicated problems together, we've laughed, agreed, disagreed and found ourselves here now, ready to take the keys to the building. For 18 months, we've held onto a belief that if enough people use and support the baths we can be there to nurture the next generation of Olympic athletes, to give busy adults a chance to exercise; to provide an affordable, secular, social space for all comers. | We've worked through a number of complicated problems together, we've laughed, agreed, disagreed and found ourselves here now, ready to take the keys to the building. For 18 months, we've held onto a belief that if enough people use and support the baths we can be there to nurture the next generation of Olympic athletes, to give busy adults a chance to exercise; to provide an affordable, secular, social space for all comers. |
| Bramley Baths has been part of the west Leeds landscape since 1904 and is a jewel of Edwardian elegance – colourful original cubicles line the pool, sinewy iron railings frame the balcony and the original foundry chimney built from 8000 bricks made locally in Kirkstall pokes at the sky. | Bramley Baths has been part of the west Leeds landscape since 1904 and is a jewel of Edwardian elegance – colourful original cubicles line the pool, sinewy iron railings frame the balcony and the original foundry chimney built from 8000 bricks made locally in Kirkstall pokes at the sky. |
| Tomorrow marks the start of a new era. The baths will be open seven days a week and all are welcome to help mark this notable community success. | Tomorrow marks the start of a new era. The baths will be open seven days a week and all are welcome to help mark this notable community success. |
| John Baron was the Guardian Leeds beatblogger and has kept the Northerner in touch with Bramley Baths' progress, Kirkgate Market and other leading issues in Leeds. | John Baron was the Guardian Leeds beatblogger and has kept the Northerner in touch with Bramley Baths' progress, Kirkgate Market and other leading issues in Leeds. |
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