Lazonby Swimming Pool

Project Title: Lazonby Swimming Pool Winter Boccia Project

Funding Received: £1174 (Phase 4: 1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023)

Project outline: Lazonby Pool opened, in summer 2022, its new disabled wet room together with specialised equipment for people needing help accessing the pool.

The boccia sessions are designed to sustain and promote further physical activity, as well as social interaction, for people with additional health needs that started with using the Pool this summer and who wish to maintain the physical and social activity in some way during the winter months.  Boccia is an ideal activity in that most people with disabilities or limited mobility can access with support from aids to the games. It is a simple game to understand so is also ideal for those with significant learning disabilities as well as physical disabilities. 

The sessions will be provided in the local village hall, enabling easier access in a rural area. The need to help tackle loneliness and isolation in a rural community has become identifiable and significantly more important post-covid, particularly for people with additional health needs and vulnerability. Many have become very isolated during lockdown and levels of anxiety and low mood had occurred at significant levels in many, adding to the stress of loneliness and poor health.

Enabling out of season physical activity will help the groups attending the pool in the summer to grow and improve their general health post-covid. The project includes purchasing basic Boccia equipment and training a second Instructor so that the activity can be offered each winter.