Successful season for Riverside Park and Pools
Published Tuesday 12 November 2024
South Oxfordshire District Council and its leisure provider, Better, are celebrating the successful 2024 summer season at Riverside Park and Pools.
The outdoor pool welcomed almost 16,000 visitors this season, a significant rise from previous years (up 17.8 per cent compared to 2023) and a testament to the pool’s popularity.
The season extended from 25 May to 8 September 2024. The increase in visitors was not only due to the great weather the beginning of August (with a whopping 2,275 visitors the first week of that month) – but also thanks to the introduction of new activities.
The newly redeveloped splash pad, which had a £296,450 investment last season, again proved to be an enormous hit with visitors, drawing consistent crowds and reaffirming its popularity as a key feature of the destination.
As well as the return of regular activities such as aqua aerobics, swimming lessons and swim doctors, some of the other standout offerings included a First Aid and Water Safety Day on 16 August, which included a children’s water safety lesson which started with a dry-side basic first aid session followed by a pool lesson on water safety and rescue skills, followed by an adult CPR and First Aid session.
This year saw the return of the popular Summer Solstice event, where the pool stayed open from 5am to 9pm so swimmers could enjoy both the sunrise and sunset.
Better, who run the pool on the council’s behalf, launched an ‘End of Season Dog Swim’ which was a big success. This sold-out event allowed dogs to take a splash in the pool, accompanied by their delighted owners. Due to its overwhelming success, the Dog Swim is sure to become a regular feature in future seasons.
The campsite has continued to be extremely popular, with guests frequently praising the experience and sharing positive feedback about their stay. Nearly every weekend saw the campsite fully booked, and there wasn’t a night without campers.
Looking ahead to the next season there are plans to expand the site with more pitches and a fully accessible Changing Places facilities will be available at the Camping block toilets. Work is currently underway to improve the accessibility at the site with the installation of accessible moorings and improved pathways.
Cllr Georgina Heritage – Cabinet Member for Communities at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “This year’s visitor numbers show just how popular this amazing destination is for the local community as well as visitors from further afield. I’m really pleased we kept this popular facility open for longer to fit in with the good weather. There is more good news to come for the next season with the opening of a fully accessible Changing Places, alongside our major investment in accessible moorings at the site. I’m also looking forward to the return of this year’s wonderful Doggy Swim!”
Kevin Williams, Better Partnership Manager – South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse, added: “The team responsible for running Riverside this year have again done an outstanding job of delivering a great service to the people who used the facilities, whether local to Wallingford or visitors to the town.
The feedback we’ve received throughout the season has been overwhelmingly positive and we look forward to welcoming everyone back in 2025.”
Find out more on the Better website and follow the Riverside Park and Pools Facebook page.
