Hampton Pool has received £99,500 in funding from Sport England's Swimming Pool Support Fund.

Chair of Hampton Pool Trust Andrew Gill has said the money will go towards solar panels for the new Hampton Pool building to help offset "skyrocketing energy costs [...] in a more sustainable way".

"But with 2024 a big year for Hampton Pool and our plans for the future, our fundraising search is far from over," said Mr Gill

Construction is set to begin in autumn.

Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham Munira Wilson speaking to the BBC at Hampton Pool in 2023 (Photo: Munira Wilson MP)

The grant follows Twickenham MP Munira Wilson raising the vulnerabilities of a number of community pools in Parliament after being excluded from the government's Energy Bills Discount Scheme last year.

Responding to the news, MP Wilson said: "I'm so pleased that some help is on the horizon for our beloved local lido, Hampton Pool.

"Anyone who has spent a day at Hampton Pool knows its value to the local community, and the mental and physical benefits it brings for residents young and old. 

"With so many pools struggling with energy costs, this support is much needed."

A swimmer enjoys Hampton Pool in August 1999 (Photo: Sam/geograph.org.uk)

Hampton Pool opened in 1922, but was threatened with closure in the 1980s before it was saved by a group of local residents.

The community pool, now run by a non-profit charitable trust and managed by YMCA St Paul's Group, relies on entry fees and fundraising to keep its doors open.

Hampton Pool is the base for many grassroots sports clubs and organisations, including triathlon and swim clubs such as Thames Turbo and Teddington Masters. 

They also train and employ young people as lifeguards and teachers and provide swimming lessons for children of all ages, including local schools, and run a wide range of health and wellbeing-focused exercise sessions, including for the elderly.

You can read more about the pool on their website here.