Hope..... Or More Of The Same?

It's a while since we've done a blog post. The truth is we haven't had much to say. We still believe change is coming, but it is painfully slow and the building continues to deteriorate.  As we await with interest how these changes will affect us, we carry on as normal with our Volunteer Days and events.

In January we went down to the  Spa to finish packing up the Christmas Trees and decorations for another year. As always, we opened the door to the Plunge Pool, to check that all was okay. The noise that greeted us was shockingly loud, the sound of water roaring, but the pool was empty!
As with every other part of the building, the pool has not been maintained. The pool had a plug with a rubber seal that had perished and failed. It had literally gone down the plug hole, and it's still there.
Once we got over the shock, it was fascinating to see the pool from a whole new perspective. The pool floor is sloping, one side is deeper than the other, and the metal framework on the pool wall, which we had thought was the remains of a ladder, is in fact the remains of a sophisticated sluice. This would have been an efficient device for controlling the flow and depth of the water, as well as for pool maintenance and cleaning.
No depth of water in the pool also meant that when the Environmental Health dept came to take water samples they were able to access them straight from the inlet. The water temperature is 11.3 degrees centigrade. The water does contain coliforms and E-coli, but is well within the acceptable range for  bathing in outdoor waters. The Plunge Pool is an outdoor pool with a building built around it.
We would like to replace the plug as soon as possible, but reinstalling the sluice would be most beneficial in the long term, should we ever get the chance.
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We had a stall at the Heritage Fair at the Millennium Gallery on 20th January.
A fantastic event as always. We saw a lot of familiar faces and made plenty of new friends. It is such a great event for meeting other groups, it is a special kind of community, mostly volunteers, who are usually too busy with their own projects to get out and meet others. It's good to know you're not alone in trying to do your best for our heritage.

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Following a successful bid to the South East LAC Environmental Project Fund we were able to purchase hand tools gloves and native Wildflower Plants for the grounds. We invited our friends at Scowerdons Youth Club, and local children to come and join us planting them out. It's fair to say that fun was had, all the plants were in the ground, and no worms were harmed.
We can't wait to do it again!

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We put in an application to the Ward Pot for a contribution towards the cost of the Stoneface Creative Sleeping Giant, and were very pleased, and grateful, indeed to receive £2000 towards the £5000 we need. The current total is just under £3000, but we have a couple of events coming up, to help reach our target. 
On Saturday 8th June, the Hawk & Dove are hosting a live band, The 21st Amendment, with Pie and Pea supper. Tickets are £10 with funds raised going towards, the Giants head, we have already paid for his feet. Please come along if you can, it will be a great night!
​Further events will be announced soon.

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With regard to the building and its future, these are very interesting times. There has been a noticeable shift in attitudes within the council, the support from the Local Area Committee in particular, has been very gratefully received.
In March the council announced they had developed a new Community Buildings Policy and they were working with Community Groups to hand suitable buildings over, through a Community Asset Transfer, to groups equipped to take them on and to help other groups achieve that status. The scheme is to be piloted in South East Sheffield and includes a list of historical buildings, (not necessarily heritage buildings, more buildings that have been in limbo for some considerable time). Birley Spa is on that list! However, although the policy acknowledges that the council has adopted the Heritage Strategy, drawn up by Joined Up Heritage, it sadly does not acknowledge the issues around Heritage buildings that have been allowed to deteriorate in the way that the Spa has. We have met with the Director of Operational Services and explained our position. We were hoping for a Community Asset Transfer in 2019, when the building could have been brought back to limited use within 6 months. That speed of turnaround is impossible now. 
We have been told that the policy is a work in progress and certain details may be subject to change. We are due to have a meeting with the Executive Director of Neighbourhoods and the Director of Operational Services in early August. 
As we await this next meeting we are working to strengthen our organisation and its structure, we have some wonderful new Trustees, bringing fresh skills, experience and enthusiasm to the team. We will make a formal announcement about this when all the details are finalised.
Thank you to all who continue to support us. We wouldn't have got this far without you!