October half term is upon us. It has been a tremendous season and Friends of Bude Sea Pool can’t thank you enough for those of you who visited and indeed those who supported from afar.

While quieter than the COVID years, a huge number of people have come down to the pool, some broaching its waters and others enjoying from the terraces.

A huge thank you to this year’s seasonal pool staff who have knocked their socks off being pool ambassadors, running the pool-side pop-up shop and tending to a bumper batch of jelly and weaver fish stings due to the unusually warm weather. This team have welcomed thousands of visitors and swimmers, advised them on safety and done a huge number of shifts to make sure that every day Bude Sea Pool has been attended from 10am to 6pm from May 28 to September 25, and that doesn’t even cover the weekends and school holidays from Easter. This is no mean feat for what was latterly a five-person team. They work their final shifts this half term.

Hats off to the pool staff! Please note that pool staff as per usual will return to their duties from Easter 2023. Recruitment to these posts will start in January so keep your eyes peeled. You can also drop a line to Deb, our Pool Manager if you’d like to express interest at [email protected]

It isn’t just the pool staff who’ve been working six to a dozen. Fundraising volunteers have been out in force: doing collection tins; running cake stalls for North Coast Arts at Ebbingford Manor, for local festivals and for the Channel Challenge; participating in the Carnival; and much more.

Shop volunteers have been keeping the Charity stocked, organised and welcoming visitors from the Summerleaze Car Park. Further volunteers are working behind the scenes to coordinate, upkeep and strategise. It is a veritable hive of activity.

A big thank you to business sponsors who have been once more hosting monthly volunteer coffee mornings. These events were sorely missed during COVID and the charity is delighted to provide the opportunity again for volunteers to come together and indeed to meet those interested in joining the community.

Open to seasoned volunteers and prospective joiners, the next volunteer coffee morning will be held Wednesda, November 2, from at the Little Pig Farm Shop on the A39 on the way to Kilkhampton.

Business sponsors take turns hosting and have recently included The Brendon Arms and Crooklets Beach Café. Crooklets even hosted a quiz night recently which sold out within days. Roll on getting another one in the diary soon.

Dog show

Looking forwards, this next weekend, there is the much-anticipated annual Fun Dog Show. It will be held on the second Sunday of half-term, October 30 from 11am.

There are amazing categories including ‘Fastest Biscuit Eater’, ‘Waggiest Tail’ and ‘Best Paw Shaker’.

At the end of the show, dogs will be allowed to swim in the Pool – the one time in the year – so come and see the big doggy splash.

Finally a big thank you to the members of the community who have become members (or ‘Friends’) of the charity.

In April 2022, the Board of Trustees decided that the annual membership fee needed to rise to meet rising costs.

Thank you to each and every one of you who have chosen to remain Friends, or even to join up for the first time. Thank you for your unwavering support, this is a real team effort. Friends of Bude Sea Pool couldn’t do what it does without you.