Pool advocates seek recruits

• Author: Stuart Whitaker
• Published date: 23 June 2022
• Publication title: Te Puke Times

Now, new blood is needed

The group was formed after Jo Page spoke at a Te Puke Community Board meeting in 2019 about the amount of time the pool seemed to be closed due to equipment failure and the general condition of the complex.

Jo was to eventually chair the new group, but has decided now is the time to stand aside.

“We are worried about getting a full complement of new offices and getting a new chair,” says treasurer Peter Miller.

“For the community, we need to get new people on the committee,” says Jo.

“It was started out of frustration on my part because as I felt not everybody has a pool in the backyard and the children of Te Puke badly need things to do.”

Peter says the group has always modelled itself on Katikati Swimming Pool which has a strong, supportive group behind it.

He says since the group was formed members have put in a lot of time and effort and made huge improvements.

Jo believes the pool has had more support from the council since the group was formed.

“As far as our group was concerned we had to look at where we would start, and I think one of our biggest things was getting managers on board.”

Cathy and Tony Shaw took over the managing of the pools at the start of the 2020-21 season.

”[Then] we had to look at what needed to be done at the pool — the heat exchanger wasn’t working and it hadn’t really been cared for all that well. The covers weren’t being used because they were hard to manoeuvre.

“It also needed lots of sprucing up and trees attacked and fences attacked.”

Regular working bees have been held and Department of Corrections community workers also put in a shift at tidying...