Swimming pool fundraising under way

October 22nd, 2015
[by David Armstrong]

The fundraising campaign for the covered Motueka Community Swimming Pool has taken off, with the first donation coming from one of the High School pool's regular users.

Jane Cumming (pictured right) recently wrote a cheque for $100 for the project, and now other donations and commitments from donors are beginning to come in.

For many years Jane has been one of the volunteers who open the High School pool for a couple of months each summer to supervise lane swimming by adults.

Although she is not a strong or competitive swimmer, all her life she has enjoyed swimming in school pools when keys were hired out. She has lived in Motueka since 1976.

"I just enjoy swimming for the exercise, and it will be great if we can have the pool covered and able to be used for most of the year," Jane says.

"At present I go with a friend into Richmond once a week to do lane swimming. It will save heaps of money in petrol to be able to do this in Motueka."

Jane saw the article in The Guardian a while back about the new project to enclose the High School pool, and decided, "yes, things are happening now, so I will donate some money to help it happen".

Although the main public campaign will not officially kick off until early next year, already several thousand dollars in donations have been received by the newly formed committee.

This is added to money left over from fundraising back nearly a decade ago, when the Motueka community was working to supplement funds promised by Tasman District Council to build a $5million new pool.

TDC subsequently dropped the project from its Long Term Plan, and what local money was left over after paying for plans and a feasibility study has been saved by Good Sports Motueka.

With assistance from Vision Motueka and a team of dedicated individuals, GSM is driving the new $1.2 million project to enclose the high school swimming pool and modernise it with changing facilities and heating.

The project got another boost last week when the Motueka Lionesses announced in the Guardian that all the proceeds from sales of their popular local phone book will be given to the pool funbdraising.

The fundraising committee initially is approaching businesses and philanthropists for sponsorships and bedrock donations, and expect to begin some high-profile fundraising among the general public, including an Internet "Givealittle" campaign, early next year.

For now, though, anyone can follow Jane's example and make a donation by sending a cheque made out to Good Sports Motueka, to PO Box 1, Motueka.

For more details about the project, go to www.motuekaswimmingpool.nz

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