LET’S POOL TOGETHER: Kyle pupils fundraiser to boost effort to re-open leisure centre

Lochalsh Leisure Centre

Local fundraising efforts are being stepped up in a bid to re-open the swimming pool and leisure centre in Kyle.

Lochalsh Leisure Centre has set a fundraising target of £40,000 to avert the threat of permanent closure.

The community-owned facility has been shut since the start of the year after an electrical fire caused substantial damage to the Douglas Park building.

This week P5-P7 pupils from Kyle Primary School are hosting an afternoon tea, with bric-a-brac stalls and musical entertainment, with all proceeds going to the leisure centre fund.

The poster for this week’s event

Everyone is invited along to support at Kyle Village Hall, between 1pm and 3pm this Wednesday (9th October).

P7 pupil Bobby said: “It’s important that we keep the leisure centre because it helps to keep people healthy and helps them learn how to swim.

“We all go to swimming lessons there from school and we have been really missing it since it closed.”

Chrissie, another P7 pupil, added: “A lot of people who live here work on boats. If you fall off a boat, you need to be able to know how to swim.”

Emma, P6, said she and her friends would be entertaining the audience with some tunes on their fiddles.

She said: “We want to help and support as best we can. We all hope the swimming pool will reopen soon.”

Opened in 1992 to ensure children in Kyle and district could learn to swim at an early age, the pool is much-valued in the community.

A crowdfunding campaign – Let’s Pool Together – was recently launched to support the facility and can be accessed at www.justgiving.com/campaign/pooltogetherforlochalshleisure

The centre volunteer trustees are also asking former users to renew membership with highlifehighland.com.