The Southern Pool has responded to comments made by the Minister of Education, Julie Edge MHK during an interview.
The board says that following the meeting on January 10 with the Department of Education, Sports and Culture (DESC) where the Board was instructed to inform pool staff of the pool closure. It did so verbally and with email confirmation.
It added that “any stress and anxiety was caused by DESC’s recommendation and not by a leaked letter”.
Pool responds
According to the Board, “at this meeting with DESC, the Board was offered HR support for staff. To date [January 23], none has been forthcoming despite a follow up request”.
It welcomed the Ministers statement that the plan for Castle Rushen High School (CRHS) now contains 6-lane pool investment.
The Board said: “Following publication of the CRHS Masterplan in November 2023, the Board obtained written confirmation from DESC that no decision had been made over a replacement pool.
“Indeed, in the meeting on 10 January 2024, Minister Edge confirmed that the pool was not in the CRHS Masterplan as funding was unavailable. She explained that the Plan was a vision which had the potential to contain a pool.
“The Board therefore welcomes her statement that this Plan now contains a 6-lane pool investment and looks forward to that commitment being confirmed by Tynwald.
Southern pool didn’t request further funding
The Board, again states, it did not request additional funding from DESC.
It says “all it ever wanted was the usual annual subvention”.
The Board hopes that Tynwald will approve the continuation of the annual subvention to the Southern Pool over the next few years to ensure that there is uninterrupted community swimming provision in the south of the island whilst the replacement pool at CRHS is being built.
The pool have thanked Southern MHKs for finding a solution which will keep the pool open for another year and the public for all their support and staff for their hard work at a difficult time.
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