AN EDEN outdoor swimming pool is set to be revamped following a three year £100,000 community fundraising effort.

Work to improve Shap Swimming Pool, an outdoor lido which is almost entirely run by volunteers, started last week.

Shap parish councillor Jeanette Morris explained that the swimming pool was in dire need of an upgrade.

"It's 30 years old and it had reached that point where a lot of things were falling apart on it," she said. "The big problem we had was a breeze block wall around the edge of the pool which acts to protect it from wind. It was starting to crack and it was getting to the point where it was quite dangerous.

"The facilities that we had in the pool might have been acceptable 30 years ago but they are not that comfortable to people now."

Shap Swimming Pool Committee started work on finding funding four years ago and a bid to Sport England secured £75,000.

It was then up to the local community to find the additional funds and £25,000 has been raised through Shap Parish Council, the Second Chance charity shop and local businesses.

Rachael Shreeve, committee member said: “I personally use it for training for outdoor triathlons. I think it's a brilliant facility for training and to making the transition to open water swimming.

"For a lot of younger generations that might be a key stepping stone to going to enjoy the outdoors and the Lake District."

The pool attracts upwards of 4,000 visitors each year and the improvements will include the addition of a new entrance with disabled/family changing area, new fencing, a rain shelter and a refurbished baby pool area.

Cllr Morris explained that since the reduction in bus services in Shap, the pool had become particularly important as it offered a day out for those who might not have a car.

"It's really going to revamp everything," she said. "We want to carry on giving people a good quality day out."

Funds are still being raised to make improvements to the pool fabric and for the provision of a highly requested slide.

And the pool committee is also looking for members of the public who would like to join as volunteers or undertake paid work as lifeguards.

Kendal-based Ben Cunliffe Architects is assisting with the revamp to the pool and founder Ben Cunliffe said that they were 'proud to be associated with the improvements'.

It is hoped that the pool will re-open on May 26.