Pool petition with more than 4,000 signatures handed to charitable trust

A COPY of the ‘Save Scalloway Pool’ petition which has amassed more than 4,000 signatures has been handed into Shetland Charitable Trust (SCT).

The trust is the core funder of Shetland Recreational Trust (SRT), which runs the pool.

The swimming pool is due to close at the end of March due to wider financial pressures at SRT.

A copy of the petition is also set to be handed into SRT next week.

Petition creator Yvonne Clark gave a copy to the SCT this morning (Thursday) ahead of its scheduled meeting of trustees at 11am, with around 30 supporters there in total.

The situation at the SRT will be spoken about in the private section of the meeting.

However after the meeting a spokesperson for Shetland Charitable Trust said: “Shetland Charitable Trust had an in-depth discussion on the issues today.

“There is no clear way forward at this stage.”

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Clark said the campaign group has been “really amazed” by the response the petition has had over recent weeks.

“People of Shetland and beyond have expressed their strength of feeling that the Scalloway pool should stay open,” she said after handing the petition in.

“What we’re wanting is for the charitable trust look at how they can help us.”

She advocated the idea of extra “lifeline” funding being given to allow the pool to stay open for another year to “find a way forward”.

SCT chairman Robert Leask said he acknowledged the petition and would hand it onto the trust.

Some members of the campaign group, as well as Scalloway Community Council chairman Lawson Bisset, attended the public part of the SCT meeting.

On Wednesday SCT issued a press statement outlining its position in terms of funding for SRT.

It followed a lengthy letter that SRT chairman David Thomson sent to Scalloway Community Council.

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On Thursday the community council then wrote to the SRT to request the closure is postponed for at least one year.

It also asked the SRT to make a formal request to SCT for funding to enable the pool to stay open another year.

Bisset wrote in his letter to the SRT: “The purpose of the year period is to enable relevant parties to work collaboratively and purposefully to identify and develop solutions, including funding streams, that will enable the continued service provision at the Scalloway pool into the future.”