A PRIMARY school has put out a £25,000 SOS in a bid to save one of the few remaining school swimming pools in the area.

The pool at Moordown St John’s is in urgent need of repairs and improvements so Save Our Swimming (SOS) has been launched in a bid to keep it open.

School finance manager Ria Laws said the aim is to raise the money in time for the work to be carried out in the summer holidays to avoid disruption to lessons during term time.

“Our pool has been going for more than 40 years and there has been no renovation since it was built” she said. “Several swimming clubs and schools use the pool and we are going to do whatever we can to make sure it stays open.”

The pool at the Vicarage Road school is used by around 700 swimmers each week and is described as a “huge asset” to the pupils.

Last year the school’s Year 4 Swim Team won the Dorset School Shield and the school was the highest participating school in the country in the Schools Swimathon Challenge. Nine out of ten pupils achieve the National Curriculum Swim Award by the end of Year 3.

Work needed includes replacement of tiles, re-grouting the pool, a deep clean, redecoration and resurfacing the area around the pool.

The school also aims to deepen the pool by around 40cm by raising the sides because it is currently classed as a learner pool and is therefore not suitable for more advanced swimming or for older children.

Planned fund raising initiatives include sponsored swims, fun swim sessions, pool parties and other activities arranged by the school’s Parents and Friends Association.

Family fun sessions are planned for February 22, March 19 and April 23 and will be supervised by a qualified lifeguard. Proceeds will be donated to SOS.

The pool is also available to rent for private parties on Saturday afternoons.

And the appeal is also currently represented in the Community Matters scheme at Waitrose in Winton.

Last month a decision was taken to close a swimming pool at Stourfield Junior School in Bournemouth for financial reasons and others to close in recent years include pools at Twynham and The Grange. There are now very few school pools across Dorset, apart from those in private schools.

Anyone who wishes to support the SOS should contact Mrs Laws at r.laws@st-johns.bournemouth.sch.uk