The Jesmond Swimming Project has appoined two new trustees to help run Jesmond Pool.

The project, which has leased the pool from Newcastle City Council since 1992, relies on the voluntary contributions of members of the local community. New trustees Paul Ryder and Simon Leach are, like the rest of the board of directors, local residents with close ties to the pool.

Pool secretary Chris Clarke told JesmondLocal that he believed the new appointments would enhance the committee. “We identified the need to strengthen our expertise in marketing”, he said, “and were therefore delighted to find out that Paul Ryder, a keen member of the Jesmond Joggers, the running club based at the pool, has long experience of marketing and communications.

“The leisure industry is highly competitive and we can never take it for granted that our potential customers will continue to find us, unless we tell them about the range of excellent facilities that we have at Jesmond Pool,” Clarke explained.

Simon Leach is the board’s youngest trustee, and brings “new blood” to the committee. “Our longer-serving trustees are getting older all the time!” Clarke said. “Many of us were involved in the campaign to re-open the pool, back in 1991/2.”

Leach, a volunteer lifeguard and casual member of staff since 1994, will ensure that the management hears the views of the younger members of the pool. “He’s well-known to many of our younger staff and volunteers, which will help reduce any potential ‘generation gap’ between the trustees, users and staff,” Clarke said.

Anyone interested in helping to run Jesmond Pool in any capacity is encouraged to contact Clarke or chief executive Glenn Armstrong by asking at pool reception.