Community council calls on SRT to request funding for reopening Scalloway pool
THE CHAIR of Scalloway Community Council has called on Shetland Recreational Trust (SRT) to go back to the charitable trust for funds to reopen the village’s closed swimming pool.
In a letter to SRT chair David Thomson, Lawson Bisset pointed to how the value of Shetland Charitable Trust’s (SCT) investments had recovered by more than £40 million between the end of March and the start of June.
However this came after the value of the investments dropped by around £50 million, between the start of 2026 and the end of March.
SCT is the core funder of SRT, which closed the Scalloway Pool at the end of March in attempts to become more financially sustainable.
The SRT said in March that it had “carefully considered” requests from the community for a one-year extension at Scalloway, but trustees of the charity said it would not have resolved the “underlying structural position” and would have risked the position of other SRT facilities.
It also said a delay in closure would have kept pressure on a “staffing model that isn’t viable to operate eight facilities”.
The SRT said it instead requested that core funder Shetland Charitable Trust reconsider its multi-year funding package to maintain operations across eight facilities.
The charitable trust said it had to reluctantly turn down the request as it could “put at risk our guaranteed funding to other community organisations.”.
But Bisset has now called on the SRT to go back to the SCT regarding funds for reopening the pool.
“I note your previous remarks expressing regret and disappointment that you and your trustees were forced to take the drastic step of closing the Scalloway Pool in order to maintain financial stability,” Bisset wrote to Thomson this week on behalf of Scalloway Community Council.
“On this basis, the community trusts that you will take this opportunity to seek the required funding.
“The recent news that the Shetland Charitable Trust achieved a £41 million profit from its investments presents a unique and timely opportunity.
“This significant surplus is intended to benefit the people of Shetland, and there is no better way to demonstrate that commitment than by investing in local health, well-being and community infrastructure.”
Bisset said the closure of the pool has left a “significant gap in our community”.
“It has restricted regular access to swimming for local families, school children and the elderly, many of whom now face travel barriers when using alternative facilities,” he wrote.
“Swimming is a vital life skill and a cornerstone of physical and mental well-being, particularly in our island community.
“Given this financial boost for the SCT, I request that you and your trustees follow the appropriate process and submit a formal funding proposal to the SCT.
“I consider that the level of expenditure required by the SRT would not significantly impact the £41 million profit. A grant from these profits could cover the necessary operational costs required to bring this vital asset back into service for the community.”
The letter was also copied to SCT chair Robert Leask and local councillor Davie Sandison.
The SRT’s core grant from SCT for the period between 2025 and 2030 is £19.6 million, up from £16 million.
SRT chief executive Robert Geddes said last month that he was not aware of any formal proposals for retaining or repurposing the building.
The SRT announced in January that it was closing the Scalloway Pool at the end of the financial year, with its distance to Lerwick and the Clickimin Leisure Complex cited as a key factor.
The building was opened in 1993 and included a four lane, 16.7m main pool, a shallow lagoon for toddlers, a whirlpool and a steam room.
The news from the SRT in January prompted a campaign opposing the closure which included a petition which amassed around 5,000 signatures.
It was back at the start of June that SCT, set up with oil funds in the 1970s, reported investments increasing in value by around £40 million since the end of March.
Highlighting the volatile nature of the financial markets, the value had dropped from about £486 million at the start of the year to roughly £437 million at the end of March.
However the value had risen to £478 million come the start of June.
Meanwhile the Save Scalloway Pool action group and its supporters will rally support on Friday with a march in Lerwick. Folk will be gathering at the Clickimin car park at 10.30am.
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