AN appeal to help keep a Silsden swimming pool open is just £2,000 short of its target.

Hothfield Street Junior School needed £40,000 to ensure the pool stayed open, and had already been promised £25,000 from a charitable organisation.

But the school had to raise £15,000 on its own and is now asking townsfolk to give a last push to help it achieve its goal.

The small pool was built in the 1970s with money from the town, and is a place where children can learn to swim in safety.

Silsden is a place which is surrounded by water and it is felt it is important for children to have water safety awareness as well as being able to swim.

It costs around £5,000 a year to keep the pool open, with the money spent on chemicals as well as its upkeep.

The Liverpool-based Foundation for Sport and Arts - which gets its money from the football pools - gave the school £25,000 to pay for a massive refurbishment project, including upgrading the existing facilities and building new changing rooms.

The grant was given on the proviso that the pool remained open for the next 10 years, and that the school raised some of its own cash.

Headteacher Jamesine Welch is now appealing for people to offer prizes which will be used as part of a raffle in the next few weeks.

"We've had a lot of support for the appeal from the community," she told the Herald.

"Shops and individuals have come forward with money which they have collected and the children have all played a part."

Anyone who can donate a prize to the raffle or help the appeal in any way should get in touch with Hothfield Street Junior School on 01535 210666.

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