The Yorkshire Swim Works

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The Yorkshire Swim Works

The Yorkshire Swim Works is an ambitious project to create a unique outdoor swimming experience

28/11/2025

Hi everyone!
We’re sorry we’ve been quiet.
There has been a lot of waiting for us all to do.

And sadly we come with bad news.
The landowners, Bradford Council have reversed their decision and now will not be advertising the land for expressions of interest. This means we are unable to put forward our case for the potential social, environmental and economic impact that Yorkshire Swim Works would bring.

They have resolved to tell us why by the end of the year. Once we have heard their reasons we will be in a position to respond. We’re sorry it’s not better news. But… there is one shred of comfort:

They have also resolved to look into a Master Plan for the St Ives Estate.

We are very excited as we have been asking for a plan for the wider estate since day 1.
We believe that the people of the Bradford area deserve a plan. Deserve hope and joy and investment in their community. We also believe that within this master plan, local people deserve somewhere to swim safely, reconnect with their community and somewhere that will bring jobs and a positive economic impact.

For now, as Bradford 2025 draws to a close, we wait. We wait for our opportunity to bring decades of social and economic impact to the region. Thank you for all of your support along the way and we hope to bring more news before the end of the year.

As the waters turn cold, take care out there and we will be back with news whenever we can.

28/03/2025

Hi friends and supporters,

We know we’ve been quiet lately… and you deserve to know why.

We’re currently waiting for an important next step decision from Bradford Council which we will know the outcome of following a meeting they plan to hold next week.
We've chosen not to push publicly, giving the Council space to follow the proper process.

That said, we also know how important it is to keep you in the loop. So, we're really sorry for the radio silence.

Our passion for bringing Yorkshire Swim Works to life hasn’t wavered. We're still here, still dreaming big, and still committed to creating something really special for our community - however long it takes.

We also still have amazing support from some regional organisations who are right behind us and want to see this project happen.

In the coming weeks (and possibly months) as we wait, we’ll be sharing some of the amazing messages you’ve sent us about why this project matters. Your support has kept us going, and we hope these words remind everyone what we’re working toward.

For now, it’s a waiting game but your patience, encouragement, and belief mean everything. Thank you.

23/12/2024

Dear Yorkshire Swim Works fans

Just a little note to let you all know things are bubbling away in the background, and we hope to share some positive news early 2025.

In the meantime, enjoy your festive swims safely

Best wishes from our small but dedicated team

11/09/2024

The fantastic Friends Of Otley Lido are hosting an Open Day at Otley Lido this coming Saturday. Full details can be found here: https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/submission-event/otley-lido.html
We heartily recommend those nearby go along and show your support for an amazing volunteer group trying to bring back a formerly much loved outdoor swimming venue.
From 10am and guided tours available throughout the day 🏊‍♂️

04/09/2024

What a busy summer!
We ran our survey for two months and had a fantastic response. Over three quarters of the people who responded to the survey had been to Bingley St Ives.
But of course, for us volunteers, hearing that over 97% of you are in support of the vision is very exciting and we do hear you, we are listening. We will keep pushing for this to become a reality.

This summer we attended or hosted events at:
Bingley Market, Lister Park, Peel Park, The Malt in Harden, Golden Fleece in Harden

Sadly, it is not possible for us to host an open day at the site this summer.

We have spoken to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Yorkshire Sport Foundation, Active Bradford, JU:MP, Born in Bradford, our new MP Anna Dixon, Impact Hub Bradford and Participate Projects.

We have also been in regular contact with Friends of Bingley Pool, Friends of Ilkley Lido, the Friends of Otley Lido and continued working with the Future Lido Group.

We are in talks with Bradford Council over the land and are hopeful that we can reach an agreement that would enable us to progress the project further. The potential social and economic impact on the local area should not be underestimated. With your support we can make this happen.

We will be publishing further insights from the survey on the website and will keep you posted.

Please do keep sharing, commenting and liking - it keeps us smiling.

07/08/2024

We’re at Lister Park today with the Bradford Aquatics team!
Come and say hello and hear all about Yorkshire Swim Works and how we are working with local organisations.

02/08/2024

If you know of anybody who works in or with an organisation that would benefit from using Yorkshire Swim Works then either email [email protected] or tag them in the post here.

One such organisation is Born in Bradford and we recently spoke with Professor John Wright the Founder and one of the most revered health researchers in the world. He left us with this wonderful message of support:

"The Yorkshire Swim Works will be a fantastic investment into the health of the people of West Yorkshire. Encouraging physical activity in a natural surrounding whilst being safe and accessible for all. A place to learn to swim in cold and warm water, boosting water confidence and inspiring the next generation of outdoor swimmers. What a great idea."

Have a great weekend!

01/08/2024

Happy Yorkshire Day!
We’re off with the family to the Dales.

31/07/2024

It's summer holidays so we will be a little slower on the socials. We are still busy, we've been talking to some amazing local organisations and we will be attending two HAF events in Bradford. These are fun, free events, jointly funded by the Department for Education’s Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF) and JU:MP.
August 7th in Lister Park
August 21st Peel Park

Our talks with Bradford Council continue and as soon as we are able to release an update we will.

We will also be releasing the results of the survey very soon!
For more details on the HAF events:
https://www.bradford.gov.uk/children-young-people-and-families/activities-for-children-and-young-people/haf-summer-of-fun-parks-events/

21/07/2024

Come and say hello at the Malt Shovel, Harden today

17/07/2024

July 17th, the sun is shining (mostly) and it's the final day of our survey: https://yorkshireswimworks.com/survey2024/
If you haven't completed the survey yet, please take the five minutes. If you have already then take five minutes just for yourself, eyes closed, some deep breaths, treat yourself.

Share, like, comment, let's see just how many we can get on this the final day to have your say!

Address

Oxenhope

Website

http://yorkshireswimworks.com/

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