An Official Opening to Remember!

Hundreds of swimmers, young and old, joined Neptune, the Mayor of Lewes, and the Lewes Town Crier on 31 May 2025, to celebrate the official opening of the Pells Pool.

After Mayor Emily Clarke was pushed into the water by Neptune, there was a ceremonial swim of a length of the pool, with officers from the East Sussex Fire Service, accompanied by tunes from Musikverien Gurtweil, a wind orchestra from Lewes’ German twin town of Waldshut-Tiengen.

“It was great to see so many people take advantage of our free swim today and join us on a fantastic sunny day,” said Neptune, AKA Ronald Dam, Chair of the Pells Pool Community Association (PPCA). “Thank you to everyone who came along, and the Mayor, the Town Crier and the band, for making it such a wonderful event. We’re really looking forward to welcoming thousands of swimmers over the next few months – to swim, to enjoy a picnic and an ice cream in the sun on our lawn, and at our special events, including our solstice and midnight swims.”

The event gave the Mayor the opportunity to raise money as part of our campaign to raise £12,000 for a new hoist and accessible steps, improving access for swimmers needing help getting in and out of the pool. Anyone wishing to donate can visit Emily’s Just Giving page here.

Our lifeguards are also taking part in fundraising. On 14 June, two teams will be taking part in a Channel Swim Relay at the pool, swimming the equivalent of the distance between Dover and Calais – and back – a total of 66km. You can find out more here and sponsor them on their Just Giving page here.