South Lakeland Hydrotherapy Trust
c/o Sandgate Hydrotherapy Pool
Sandylands Road
Kendal
LA9 6JG
Cumberland
Westmorland and Furness
It is over 40 years since the Westmorland Mencap Society began a very ambitious plan to raise money to build a Hydrotherapy Pool in Kendal. They had the foresight to recognise the potential benefits for children and adults with disabilities, both physical and mental, exercising in warm water in warm surroundings. On Saturday 12th November 1977 the Hydrotherapy Pool was opened by Mr Peter Naylor, Chairman of Cumbria County Council.
To ensure the Pool remained viable the South Lakeland Hydrotherapy Trust (SLHT) with charitable status was formed in 2002 ( Charity No. 1094280). SLHT secured funding from Cumbria County Council (CCC), South Lakeland District Council (SLDC), Kendal Town Council (KTC) and now Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group (MB CCG).
The Pool provided almost 22,000 individual hydrotherapy user sessions last year to the most vulnerable of our community. Those with Physical and Mental Health conditions along with the increasing elderly population all receive great benefit not available elsewhere.
The Trust through Sandgate Hydrotherapy Pool offers a unique service to the population of Cumbria and Lancashire, the benefits of hydrotherapy have been well known for many years. The Pool offers these benefits in a supportive environment that affords privacy. Key benefits include the ability to: Move more easily Relax your body Regain fitness following an operation or accident Ease pain Perform gentle all body exercises Improve circulation and breathing Build self-confidence The Trust has a number of key objectives including providing therapy at an affordable cost in a Pool heated to 94˚F (10˚F higher than a public swimming pool). With personal/specialist sessions to facilitate confidence building and emotional support in an environment for social interaction.
The Pool is open Seven days a week 12 hours a day for week-days and about 6 hours on Saturday and Sunday. UHMB NHS FT (Consultants and Physiotherapists), Medical General Practitioners and Physiotherapists currently refer patients to Sandgate Hydrotherapy Pool along with Health and Care Groups (Cancer Care, Arthritis Care, Multiple Sclerosis, Breast Care, Stroke Club, Sight Advice, Adult learning and training groups, Whinfell and Windmill, Headway, Sandgate, Underley Schools, WOSP (Kendal Day Services)
The pool offers a unique service to the people of Cumbria. It offers the known benefits of hydrotherapy in a supportive environment that builds confidence and allows privacy. The benefits include improved mobility, easing of pain and growth in confidence. Our main objectives are to deliver this therapy at an affordable cost (so as not to exclude the vulnerable users), to provide personalised and specialist sessions and to maintain the pool environment to a high standard.
The pool costs around £140,000 a year to run and brings in over £80,000 in income form pool charges. We would not want to see an increase in pool charges and currently as can be seen from the timetable the pool is operating at high capacity. Higher charges would be prohibitive and discriminatory to the most vulnerable users of the Pool.
We have significantly reduced running costs in the last few years by improving the equipment that is used to sanitise and heat the pool which has saved money. It is now a priority to undertake the improvements suggested in the Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) energy report to further lower running costs.
To ensure the pool remained viable the South Lakeland Hydrotherapy Trust (SLHT) with charitable status was formed in 2002 and has now a working partnership with CCC along with grant funding
from other major stakeholders. In the last financial year (2016-17) the pool’s operating costs were £143,929 and CCC gave £44,000, Kendal Town Council £3,000, SLDC £2,500 and Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group £15,000. The rest is made up from the operating income (charges) etc.
Sandgate Hydrotherapy Pool is open seven days a week and last year there were 21,610 individual user sessions.
All Health Care agencies and Local Councils are under severe budgetary pressures and the loss of secured funding from any of our partners (CCC, SLDC, KTC, MB CCG) will jeopardise the viability of the service. Looking after the major expense i.e. heating energy will help us keep the costs manageable for our partners and for the pool users. The service: -
• Provides a service across traditional boundaries, i.e. to Acute Sector and Community Sector patients.
• Provides a service that is both a treatment and a maintenance of Health and Well-Being for Physical and Mental Health Conditions.
• Works across partner organisations involving NHS Commissioners, Acute and Community NHS providers, County Council Health and Well Being and 3rd Sector (SLHT).