The Mayor of Faversham, Councillor Trevor Martin has announced Faversham Pools along with Faversham Umbrella as Mayoral Charities of the year 2023-2024. The announcement was made during last week’s Annual Mayor Making, which was held in The Alexander Centre, Faversham. Both charities will receive half of the funds raised throughout the year.
Michael Ellsmore, Joint Chair of Faversham Pools said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as one of Mayor Martin’s official charities this year, it is a great opportunity for us to raise the charitable profile of Faversham Pools. Together with his support I am sure that we can continue to provide a valuable service to the community”.
Mayor of Faversham, Trevor Martin said: “It is often forgotten that Faversham Pools are a Charity. Both the Mayoress and I spent much of our time swimming at the Pools in our teenage years, so it seemed fitting to support you. We realise that the pools is not just a Faversham asset but attracts visitors to the town. We hope this year that we can raise the profile of the pools across Kent particularly as it has the only outdoor diving boards in the county.”
Earlier this year, Faversham Pools faced a huge blow after receiving the news that their annual grant from Swale Borough Council has been reduced from £100,000 to £80,000.
Michael said: “Since publicly announcing the funding cut back in January it’s been incredible to see first-hand the community unite to support the Pools. We launched a fundraising campaign to replace our lockers shortly after our announcement which went on to raise a significant amount more than we expected, several small local businesses have donated and now we are being supported by the mayor. The support highlights how much the Pools mean to the people of Faversham and we are continuing to seek opportunities to support our fundraising efforts so that we can continue to be a much loved community hub for many years to come.”