A new £300,000 state-of-the-art swimming pool 'changing village' has been revealed at Bridgend Recreation Centre.Jointly funded by Bridgend County Borough Council and the Sports Council for Wales, the refurbishment now offers a spacious and well-equipped place for swimmers to change, shower and store their belongings, including:Enhanced group changing - the new facility has six family changing rooms, two baby changing rooms, and generous family-sized lockers;
Eight individual shower rooms, as well as two group showering areas;
Well-equipped disabled showering and additional changing amenities, including a new bespoke disabled shower room;
Enhanced disabled access, including a new automatic door;
Hairdryers and large mirrors.
Installing the new changing village involved demolishing the old changing rooms while ensuring that swimming lessons were not affected and that people could still use the pool.
Swimmers are already enjoying the new facilities but the changing village will be officially opened by Councillor Lyn Morgan, Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, on Wednesday August 12. The ceremony will be attended by the Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council, Councillor Mel Nott, the Mayor of Bridgend County Borough Councillor Jeff Tildesley and representatives of the Sports Council for Wales.
Councillor Morgan said: "The new changing village offers swimmers a much more enjoyable all-round experience when using the pool at Bridgend Recreation Centre.
"I would like to thank customers for their patience and co-operation while the work has been carried out. I am sure that visitors to Bridgend Recreation Centre will agree that the new changing village has been worth waiting for and it is a very welcome addition to the swimming pool facilities.
"My thanks go also to our partners within the Welsh Assembly Government and the Sports Council for Wales for their generous support in helping to fund this important project. It shows our joint commitment to providing the residents of Bridgend County Borough with the highest quality opportunities to live active and healthy lives and recognises the importance of swimming to all."
Philip Carling, Chair of the Sports Council for Wales, commented on the SCW's £185,000 investment: "This refurbishment to Bridgend Recreation Centre is the latest in a long line of projects that have been developed across Wales and will be of enormous benefit to the local community and Bridgend as a whole. Everyone should have the opportunity to swim and keep physically active and I'm confident that these new facilities will motivate not only people with disabilities but also young people and adults."
Councillor Morgan said: "The new changing village offers swimmers a much more enjoyable all-round experience when using the pool at Bridgend Recreation Centre.
"I would like to thank customers for their patience and co-operation while the work has been carried out. I am sure that visitors to Bridgend Recreation Centre will agree that the new changing village has been worth waiting for and it is a very welcome addition to the swimming pool facilities.
"My thanks go also to our partners within the Welsh Assembly Government and the Sports Council for Wales for their generous support in helping to fund this important project. It shows our joint commitment to providing the residents of Bridgend County Borough with the highest quality opportunities to live active and healthy lives and recognises the importance of swimming to all."
Philip Carling, Chair of the Sports Council for Wales, commented on the SCW's £185,000 investment: "This refurbishment to Bridgend Recreation Centre is the latest in a long line of projects that have been developed across Wales and will be of enormous benefit to the local community and Bridgend as a whole. Everyone should have the opportunity to swim and keep physically active and I'm confident that these new facilities will motivate not only people with disabilities but also young people and adults."
Written on Monday, 10 August 2009 10:52 by Richard Winters
