Friends of Wingham Pool

17/09/2026

16/09/2026

Sometimes the work that makes the biggest difference isn’t the work that makes the most noise.

Today’s post from Alison Penfold is a great reminder of just how much work continues to happen behind the scenes for Wingham Pool.

There have been conversations, meetings, emails, phone calls and opportunities taken to make sure our pool — and what it means to Wingham — stays on the radar of all levels of government.

And sometimes it’s not about having the loudest voice in the room. It’s about genuine conversations, building relationships, listening to each other and continuing to turn up with a clear and consistent message.

We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has been willing to listen, have those conversations and advocate alongside our community.

There is still a way to go, and there are plenty of pieces that need to come together, but it’s encouraging to see that the conversations happening quietly in the background are continuing to move things forward.

No one person or organisation will make a new Wingham Pool happen on their own. It will take community, Council and all levels of government working together.

That’s what we’ll keep doing. 🏊‍♀️💙

Quiet doesn’t mean nothing is happening. Sometimes it means the work is happening where it matters most.

Shoutout to Alison Penfold MP for Lyne and Tanya Thompson MP for all that you are doing!

05/09/2026

We’ve been a little quiet lately, but don’t mistake quiet for giving up.

Behind the scenes, Friends of Wingham Pool and Wingham Swim Club continues to advocate for our community and keep Wingham Pool on the radar.

We’re continuing conversations with Council, the NSW State Government and the Australian Government, working to ensure the importance of a pool for Wingham isn’t forgotten and that the support and investment needed to make it happen remains on the table.

We know progress feels slow, but we also recognise that projects like this don’t happen overnight. Funding processes take time, and sometimes progress happens quietly behind the scenes long before the community sees it.

What hasn’t changed is our determination. We’ll keep advocating for Wingham until we have a pool again but we need your help.

🏊‍♀️We need your stories🏊

One of the most powerful things we can put in front of government isn’t just statistics or funding proposals — it’s the voice of our community.

If you’re an individual, family, business, sporting club, community group or organisation, we’d love you to write a letter of support telling us:

🏊 What has Wingham Pool meant to you?
💙 What are your favourite memories of the pool?
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 What does it mean to your family?
🏫 What does the loss of the pool mean for your school, club or organisation?
💔 What has the community lost by not having a pool?
🌱 Why is having a pool important for Wingham’s future?

It doesn’t need to be formal or long. We want your stories, your memories and your experiences.

Tell us what the pool has meant to you, what it means to our community, and what the impact of not having a pool has been.

We’ll collate these letters and stories and use them as further evidence of the strength of community support as we continue our conversations with all levels of government.

📧 If you’d like to provide a letter of support, please email it to [email protected]

And if you’d like a hand putting a letter of support together, please get in touch with us, we’re more than happy to help. It’s your story and your experience that matters; you don’t need to have the perfect words.

Every story helps. Every voice matters. And together, they help tell the bigger story of why Wingham needs a pool.

Friends of Wingham Pool
Wingham Swim Club
Tanya Thompson MP

16/04/2026

We’ve received the official response from the NSW Government to our ePetition for a new Wingham Swimming Pool.

While extremely disappointed, we’re not giving up.

We’re taking the time to carefully review the response and consider what it means for our community.

We’ve also formally requested documentation from MidCoast Council relating to the extent of the damage to the existing pool, to help inform next steps and ensure transparency moving forward.

We’ll share a more detailed update in the coming days, including what this response means and how we continue advocating for a pool in Wingham.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this campaign so far — your voices have made an impact, and this conversation is far from over.

In the meantime, we ask for your patience and positivity as our volunteer committee works through the next steps.

Stay tuned.

Wingham Swim Club
Tanya Thompson MP

04/03/2026

Thank you to our State Member of Parliament, Tanya Thompson, for meeting with Friends of Wingham Pool and Wingham Swim Club today to discuss the current state of our pool and what the future holds.

We appreciate the opportunity to share our community’s perspective and your willingness to listen.

It was encouraging to hear acknowledgement that Wingham Pool is so much more than concrete and water. It’s where children learn life-saving skills and build confidence; where families gather on the grass; where friendships are formed and our community connects. The physical and mental health benefits are real — as are the social connections that grow around the pool.

Last summer, the pool had a real sense of life about it. It was filled with laughter, swim club nights, carnivals, early morning and late afternoon swims, aqua aerobics, birthday parties, and the unmistakable buzz only a country pool can create. It reminded us just how important this space is to Wingham.

Today reaffirmed our commitment to continue advocating for a replacement pool — not simply as something our community would like to see, but as something it genuinely needs.

We look forward to continuing to work constructively for the future of our community.

24/02/2026

THIS! Just one of many reasons why we continue to advocate for a replacement pool for Wingham.

We know swimming ability is declining in Australia. One in four schools no longer holds a swimming carnival at all.

👉 Read the full story: https://theconversation.com/im-a-drowning-prevention-researcher-my-kids-school-swimming-carnival-shocked-me-276531

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21/02/2026

Jane and Kate spent a few hours at the Coles Plaza Wingham today - a big thankyou to everyone who stopped by for a chat and added their support to the petition.
We're currently sitting at 3,735 signatures online and were able to collect an additional 60 on the paper petition today!!
For those who missed us today and are unable to sign the petition online, you can also find a paper petition at Chapman and Wood Chemist Wingham, Beauty on Bella Skin Clinic and Brookes Hairworx.
We'll be back at the Coles Plaza next Saturday 28th February.
To sign online head to: LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY - Signing ePetition - Funding for a new Wingham Swimming Pool https://share.google/O3yYdZ6FZPKHcJmYH

18/02/2026

How great is this?
For those whove been struggling to get kids into swim lessons so far this summer, here's an option to consider.
For those who swam with us last season, you may even see a familiar swim teacher or two!

Hi all.
Exciting news!We have some funding for free swimming lessons for our Wingham kids. School age and then the under school age kids.
We are looking at an 8 week program possibly Sundays. Location to be finalised. We have option of a bus if carers can’t get kids to location.
I need expressions of interest ASAP. Please share to your local groups.
Message or emal your interest to:

[email protected]

🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️

03/02/2026

We need your help!

With the closing date of the epetition fast approaching on 10 March, we're calling on everyone to show their support and sign asap. We're currently sitting at 2,498 signatures - let's show our State Government how much we NEED their commitment to fund a replacement pool.

You don't need to live in Wingham - you just need to be a NSW resident with a valid email address to sign.
Please sign the epetition and share it widely with family, friends, colleagues across NSW.

Sign. Share. Support Wingham.

https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/la/Pages/ePetition-details.aspx?q=oPN961mnbluowkcv1U5WEg&fbclid=IwdGRjcAPv33lleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEee_grh1QZlbBfVVzKTGRvuL24BrxdZd3O91z2xZEZSjDzYl3uCF70J7mP7YI_aem_zFe8HnxrllM2fWy08pp-dg