Banbury's outdoor pool opens this weekend

The open air pool at Woodgreen Leisure Centre officially opens on Saturday, May 4 as it prepares to celebrate its 80th anniversary. In addition to the pool there is a flume, interactive aqua splash zone for toddlers and a snack bar serving food throughout the day. The 50m pool is operated by Legacy Leisure on behalf of Cherwell District Council and receives annual contributions from Banbury Town Council towards its running costs.Nicola Riley, Cherwell’s assistant director for wellbeing, said: “Woodgreen’s open air pool is a real fixture of local people’s summers, whether they are swimming to keep fit, spend time with their friends or to have fun with their kids.“I encourage everyone to make the most of it as we celebrate its 80th anniversary.”Families from Grimsbury, Hardwick, Neithrop and Ruscote can enjoy discounted swimming at the pool by applying to the Families Active, Sporting Together (FAST) programme.The outdoor pool’s anniversary is being marked at an intergenerational reminiscence event taking place on 21 May from 2pm to 4pm at the Cornhill Centre. Older people and students are invited to take part in a recorded conversation about the pool and its history. The event is part of the Banbury Age of Creativity Festival which is running at venues throughout the town from May 1 to 31..For details of Woodgreen pool’s opening hours and prices, visit: www.leisurecentre.com/woodgreen-leisure-centreTo apply for a FAST card, visit www.cherwell.gov.uk/fast