March 2024 – KLPA

13 March, 2024

LADIES’ POND TEMPORARY CLOSURE FOR MAINTENANCE

The Ladies’ Pond will be closed from 18-22 March for essential repairs and maintenance in the changing areas.

During this time, the Mixed Pond will be lifeguarded and available for women-only swimming during normal current opening hours:

Mixed Pond – women-only from 7.00 am to 2.00 pm daily

If you hold a season ticket wristband for the ponds and normally swim at the Ladies’ Pond you can also swim at the Lido while the Ladies’ Pond is closed.

The Ladies’ Pond will re-open at 7.00 am on Saturday 23 March, in time for our scheduled merchandise sale and Spring Equinox Breakfast on Sunday 24 March at 9.00 am.

Many thanks to Paul Jeal for negotiating and arranging this with the support of the Mixed Pond Winter Swimming Club. We are grateful for their flexibility and generosity in offering up their space.

Happy Swimming everyone.

8 March, 2024

CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2024 AT THE POND

Thank you to all the committee members who were able to take time out from their work and caring commitments this morning to offer tea, coffee, fruit and cake to morning swimmers. Special thanks to the creativitiy of lifeguard Jane Smith for her wonderful willow and wildflower decorations, to co-chair Pauline Latchem for incredibly delicious gingerbread lady swimmers, to committee member Sybil Bell for heart-shaped brownies, to Adele for the edible swimming cap and to all the other supportive swimmers who contributed delicious baked goods.

This was a chance to celebrate the Ladies’ Pond as a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for all women and girls, and we look forward to seeing more swimmers joining us as the weather and water warm over the coming weeks.

Ruth Hallgarten & Pauline Latchem, KLPA Co-chairs

6 March, 2024

KLPA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2024

Our Annual General Meeting took place on Sunday 3 March 2024. Thank you to all members who took the time and trouble to attend.

Over 200 KLPA members were present for what promised to be a lively meeting. We realise that members would have become aware of press interest and controversy before the meeting and may also have seen some misleading press or social media coverage following the event.

The important news to let you all know is that we managed to complete all of the essential business of the AGM successfully, including Committee elections, although disruptive behaviour by a small group of attendees caused the meeting to be ended before we had completed the full agenda. A summary of the key results can be downloaded here.

Members present voted overwhelmingly to elect a committee made up of committed KLPA members and pond swimmers. A resolution to change the definition of “woman” in our constitution, in a way which would have excluded transgender women, was resoundingly defeated. We realise this is a subject on which not all will agree, but we urge all members to conduct this debate with civility and respect. Most women in the meeting did so and were a credit to the KLPA. Thank you again to everyone who attended and participated constructively.

The new KLPA Committee looks forward to working on behalf of all members this year, both by lobbying the City of London on greater inclusion at the bathing ponds, and also in holding enjoyable events for members. We also look forward to your involvement in our social events and in planning for the Ladies’ Pond Centenary in 2026.