Case Study: Jubilee Pool

Overview

In 2017 the operation of Jubilee pool was handed over to Jubilee Pool Penzance Limited which is a community run social enterprise in the form of a Community Benefit Society. This means that the pool is now run by the community, for the community. The group wanted to ensure that use of the pool was sustainable and could be enjoyed all year round, without being dependent on the weather or council funding. In 2018 the group launched ambitious fundraising plans which would offer the community a share in the pool. The funds were to be used to geothermally heat a section of the pool - a fantastic solution to encourage visitors to the facility throughout the year. The campaign was enabled via the platform Crowdfunder and shareholders donated a whopping £540,000. In total, £1.8 million was raised with the remainder of the funding coming from a mix of loans and grants from Power to Change, Architectural Heritage Fund and Cooperative Community Investment Fund. Along with creating a geothermally heated area in the pool, the funding was also used to upgrade changing facilities and showers, update the cafe with double the seating capacity and add a new multi-purpose community space.