Over Christmas, Oban’s Atlantis Leisure did something most leisure centres dread: we drained the Oban swimming pool. Atlantis doesn’t drain the pool often. In fact, it’s something we avoid unless it’s absolutely necessary. Draining a pool means shutting it down completely, inconveniencing swimmers, clubs and families, and opening up a huge amount of work that normally sits hidden under the waterline. On top of that, the water itself is part of how an older pool stays stable. Draining it removes that pressure, which can increase the risk of things going wrong once the pool is empty. But this winter, the Atlantis pool had a number of maintenance tasks that simply couldn’t be put off any longer.
The completed works included new outlets and associated pipework, repairs and replacement of damaged pool tiles, re-grouting where needed, an acid wash of the pool tank and poolside, repairs to stainless steel pool railings, and cleaning and refurbishment of the flume structure. Beyond the pool itself, teams also tackled painting and treatment of steelwork and wooden pillars, installation of new flooring in the dry changing rooms, upgrades to showers, new washroom wall boards, painting of doors and storage areas, and a long list of finishing and safety works across the building.
All in all: it was a lot! But happily: we managed to complete all of the work on time and reopened the pool to swimmers in early January.
Atlantis Leisure is a charity and a community-run facility. We don’t have shareholders, we don’t have deep corporate pockets, and we don’t make profits that can be quietly set aside for big repairs. Every pound is carefully managed, and every major maintenance decision is a serious one. This programme of work cost a significant amount of money. This kind of remedial work is notoriously difficult to fund externally, and with no suitable grants available, all works were funded from Atlantis’ own reserves.
This is a familiar approach, as Atlantis Chair, Neil Matheson explains:
“We take a huge amount of pride in how well Atlantis is looked after. As a charity, every single pound that comes through the doors goes straight back into the building, the pool and the people who use it – we’re entirely volunteer-run. A huge part of running Atlantis is about the unglamorous, behind-the-scenes work: fixing things before they fail, investing in maintenance, and making careful decisions that protect the facility long-term. We’re not just keeping Atlantis going for today; we’re looking after it so it’s still here, still working, and still serving the community for the next generation.”
And that future is very much on Atlantis’ mind. Alongside maintaining what already exists, the charity is actively planning ahead to cope with ever increasing demand and sustainability for the future. Current projects include exploring a potential extension to Atlantis’ gym extension and progressing a major solar PV and battery installation to reduce running costs, improve sustainability and make the centre more resilient long-term.
After this recent spell of urgent maintenance, community support is more important than ever – whether that’s through continued memberships, visits, donations, spreading the word, or simply understanding that every swim helps keep this place going.
Atlantis would like to thank everyone for their patience during the closure, and everyone involved in getting an enormous amount of work done in a short winter window. The pool is now back, refreshed, repaired, and ready to welcome the community once again.
Atlantis Leisure is a not-for-profit, community-led charity running North Argyll’s leisure centre right here in the heart of Oban. We have two pools, a great big Sports Hall, a climb cube, a Café, tennis courts, squash courts, meeting rooms, a Gym, a Health and Wellbeing Hub, dance studios and a whole host of your other favourite activities and a bunch of ones you’ve never tried before!
Keep up to speed with what Atlantis Leisure Oban is up to via
Website: atlantisleisure.co.uk
Facebook/Instagram: @atlantisleisure
Email: bookings@atlantisleisure.co.uk
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