Jesmond Pool unveils its new name – Jesmond Community Leisure – this weekend.

Tomorrow’s (Saturday 16th April) open day marks the 19th anniversary of the pool’s re-opening as a community pool, following its closure by the council in 1991. Since then, the pool has notched up more than 2.25 million visits. In the process, the “Save Jesmond Pool” campaign helped stimulate other community activities in Jesmond and beyond – its success even becoming the subject of a PhD thesis.

In 2002-3 the pool underwent a major rebuild, thanks to a successful lottery bid, and this weekend’s renaming of the pool by the charitable company behind it, Jesmond Swimming Project, is intended to reflect the wider range of sporting and physical activities now on offer – including fully-equipped gym, multipurpose dance and activity room, poolside sauna and steam room, running club and GP-referral schemes – all run with a mix of volunteers and paid staff.

To celebrate, the trustees will be handing out birthday cake tomorrow from 11am to 3pm as part of the open day.