Hydrotherapy pool could close as energy bills soar

A town's only operational hydrotherapy pool could be shut within six months after its energy bills trebled.

Humberston Hydrotherapy Pool in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, needs to bring in £60,000 a year to stay open.

The community pool has been helping people with disabilities and health conditions for nearly 20 years. Students from the Humberston Park special school are among those who benefit.

Trustee Gemma Rylatt said: "We have been actively trying to raise funds over the last 12 months but our reserves are starting to dwindle."

It took the community 10 years to raise more than £500,000 to build the pool.

"It's a real community resource," said Ms Rylatt.

"But since Covid, the donations have dried up and are virtually non-existent."

She said users of the pool included people with conditions such as fibromyalgia, those recovering from road accidents and people living in care homes.

Ms Rylatt said the annual energy bill had increased from £12,000 to £36,000 in two years.

The story was reported first by the Grimsby Telegraph, which is running a campaign to help save the pool.

Liam Avison, 33, has been using it since it opened, having been a student at the school.

His father Neil, who helped with the initial fundraising effort, said his son had epilepsy and cerebral palsy.

Mr Avison said the warm water helped Neil relax his body and sleep better, and in the pool his son can walk, where "he is free".

"I hope it never closes. It would be awful for the community," Mr Avison added.

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