Axminster Nub News aims to be supportive to every element of the community from businesses, shops and people, to charities, clubs and sports organisations.

We will be profiling some of these local businesses and groups in a regular feature called 'Up Close'. This week Nub News' Philip Evans chats to Gareth Parker, assistant manager at the Flamingo Pool, which reopened this week following lockdown.

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Axminster's charity-run Flamingo Pool reopened its doors this week with a message to the people of the town – "use us if you want us to survive".

The pool, run by the Axe Valley Swimming Association, welcomed back swimmers to the Flamingo on Monday with limited opening hours, but they hope to be fully operational by the end of June.

Unlike other swimming pools in East Devon, the Flamingo Pool relies totally on fundraising a donations for survival. The Axe Vale Festival has raised tens of thousands for the pool over the years, but with the event not being held this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Flamingo under even more pressure.

At its recent annual meeting members were warned that COVID-19 would have a severe impact on the association's finances.

In this Up Close interview with Nub News editor Philip Evans, assistant manager Gareth Parker talks of the challenges that face the pool in the coming months.

PE: How has COVID-19 affected the operational running of the Flamingo Pool?

GP: After the first the lockdown was eased we opened for normal hours but found that pretty much between 10/11am and 4pm we were near enough empty every day.

So we are now opening from first thing in the morning at 7am through to 11am. We are closing down for that quiet period and opening again from 4pm to the end of day.

We will do lessons in the afternoon, the clubs will be back and general bibs and bobs in the evening.

PE: From a staffing point of view, have you got a full staff returning?

GP: We will have full staff coming back but for the period when we are closed during the middle of the day, they will still stay on furlough.

PE: In the good days how many staff did you have? Steve (Buxton) is the manager - talk us through the staffing levels after that.

GP: I'm the assistant manager, then we have 5/6 duty managers, beyond that three receptionists and then it umbrellas out into lifeguards and then teachers.

PE: Will all sections of the pool be open including the hydro-therapy pool?

GP: Yes, with restrictions. Providing nothing changes, we are restricted until May 17 having groups over 18 years old. So we can't do Aqua Fit, we can't do adult lessons, we can't do our GP referral schemes because they are all over 18 groups. We are observing the government restrictions at the moment.

PE: You will be hoping, of course, that this is the last lockdown and you will gradually get back to a full service. How long will that take?

GP: The plan, providing nothing changes, is that by May 17 we will try to go back to a fuller service so offering the aqua classes mid-morning, GP referrals which are scattered around during the day, and providing that that works we can then go to full days.

Everything should be back to normal by June 21.

PE: What about the technology in running the pool whilst you have been closed down? Does that throw up any issues concerning the pool not being used?

GP: We scaled everything back as much as we could. We could not turn certain bits off because it would all seize up and it would not work again.

We scaled everything back and the temperatures went right down, it was just ticking over to try and save as much money as possible.

You have seen the AGM and you will be aware of the costs throughout this whole last year.

PE: From a staffing point of view, have you and Steve been employed right the way through the pandemic or have you had to go on furlough as well?

GP: We have all been furloughed. Steve and I came off it a little bit earlier than everybody else to get the pool back up and running, along with Kate, one of the senior managers. Everyone else was on furlough until we opened last Monday.

PE: During the periods when you have been closed has there been anything you have been able to do to carry out improvements? Did it give you the chance to do that?

GP: We haven't done too much being on furlough and not being allowed to work. We have used the time to give the building a good clean down so it was very clean when we were ready to open.

PE: How important do you think the pool is for your members and the people of Axminster?

GP: Everybody we talk to, everyone who sent us emails and Facebook messages, has said that the town cannot lose us and what a valuable asset we are to the community.

We have everything from children's lessons, learning to swim as we live by the seaside, all the way to the older generations who use it for social, GP referrals and general exercises and everything in between with the swim clubs and the people who want to keep fit.

The pool has a great effect on the local community.

PE: I would think that those who swim regularly for health and fitness reasons, it could have had some sort of impact on their mental health whilst the pool has been closed?

GP: Definitely, mental health and physical health. I bumped into a lady the other day who has sciatica who used to swim three time a week but now she's on pain killers just to be able to keep moving. I am sure she is not the only one.

Mental health-wise, people use the pool for stress relief, physical activity, socialising. It's endless really.

PE: In his annual report at the AGM, Steve spoke about the number of schools, not just from Axminster but from all around the area which use the pool.

GP: Yes, schools from a wide area, including Axminster, Beer, Chard and Thorncombe, all use the pool regularly.

PE: I also understand that the new Chard pool is fairly near to opening. Will that have any impact on the Flamingo Pool?

GP: With the COVID issues I think the opening has been moved on to next year now. I think without doubt, yes, it's bound to have an effect.

It's a brand new facility. It's going to be shiny and fancy and people are going to be intrigued by it, but I would like to think that the majority of our clientele will stick with us because of the friendly community atmosphere that we provide as well as the advantage of us having the hydro-therapy pool.

PE: There's a swimming club in Chard. Do they currently use the Flamingo?

GP: Yes, they very recently changed their name to Trident Swimming Club on the basis that they are now more three-counties based. They heavily used it, Wednesday through to Sunday, at various times of the day. But a lot of their members are based in the Axminster/Seaton area, kids who we taught to swim years ago who went on to the competitive side.

PE: Steve has been with the pool for quite and while with the trials and tribulations that goes with the job. How long have you been with the Flamingo?

GP: I started in 2007, coming up 14 years. I started as a lifeguard and progressed through the ranks to assistant manager. I am also a trainee assessor so I teach and train our lifeguards as well.

I am originally from Seaton and I now live in Chard. I learnt to swim at the Flamingo.

PE: What is a typical day for you at the Flamingo?

GP: I make an early start, I'm first in about 6.30am, do the pool tests, set the till up and get things ready for everybody. The first lifeguards are in at 6.45am.

Between 7am and 9am we have lane swimming, more than likely they will be regulars so it's people we have got to know throughout the years who we have got quite friendly with.

Different things happen on different days. For example on a Monday we have to sessions of Aqua Fit, it's very busy, we then roll into GP referrals and general swimming. There's a few lanes occupied at lunchtime. Generally we would have schools in the afternoon, later we have lessons and then it roles into the evening.

PE: The difference between the Flamingo and most pools is that you are a charity and a lot of fundraising has to go on as it's not run by the local authority, so that's an extra challenge for you. I am aware of all the great support that you get from outside. Do you organise fun events for children as well as swimming lessons?

GP: We have a fundraising team which puts on events throughout the year. We have an inflatable island around Easter. We did a Christmas island with hot chocolate served in reception, we fundraise at different events, we do quiz nights. One of the local bands did a music night for us. We try to involve the whole community.

PE: What do you think is the most enjoyable part of your job?

GP: Although it's going into the same building every day and doing the same things, near enough, every day is different. I meet different people, every day there's a different workload depending on what's on. I gave an example of what goes on a Monday, it will be completely different on a Tuesday and a Wednesday. Every day provides different challenges which keeps it fresh as well as rewarding.

PE: Having opened on Monday, if you had one message for the people of Axminster, what would it be?

GP: They need to come and support us if they want us still to be around is the bottom line. They need to come and swim to keep us. We are are hoping that because more people have had the vaccine, they will be confident and more people are itching to get back to normal, whatever that is.

We are officially COVID safe. We have upped our cleaning regimes. All the touch points and entry points are getting a cleaned down every half hour. There will be face coverings around the building but not in the water.

We have worked really hard to try and to make the pool safe, to make everyone feel comfortable coming back to the pool. Now we just need them to come back.

PE: Is there one aspect of the Flamingo facilities you would like to emphasise.

GP: We are the only pool is this area to have a public hydro-therapy pool. With the warmer water, that is great for babies, little children learning to swim. If they are warmer they are more comfortable and happier.

It's a smaller pool so that makes it a less intimidating environment for the little ones all the way up to those who need physiotherapy.

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