Brightlingsea: my local lido

Jharna Kumawat didn’t realise how valued a local lido could be until she discovered the community behind it

I’m based in Essex and despite living close to the sea, we don’t have many outdoor swimming pools nearby. When I moved to Colchester, family days out usually meant visiting one seaside town after another.

On my first visit to Brightlingsea in 2017, I walked past the lido while it was closed. I remember seeing pamphlets, fundraising appeals and calls for volunteers. There was a clear sense that local people were determined not to lose it. At that point, I didn’t realise what an important part of the community it was, and would continue to be, or how much it would mean to me personally.

Today, Brightlingsea Lido is one of the places where I train regularly from May to September. Alongside swimming in the local lake and the sea, I visit the lido twice a week, usually attending either the morning lane swimming session or the evening slot.

The morning sessions are my favourite! As the pool opens, familiar faces arrive, exchanging greetings before settling into their lanes. Over the last couple of months, I’ve met swimmers training for events or others who live in Brightlingsea and visit the lido as part of their daily summer routine.

Another highlight is the café, run by a friendly bunch of young people who serve a mean hot breakfast. After training, there’s nothing better than relaxing with a hot drink, looking across the lido on one side and the beach huts on the other.

The evenings have a different atmosphere. Young swimmers arrive with their parents and train alongside swimmers of all abilities in different lanes. What stands out is how welcoming the environment feels. Whether someone is swimming their first outdoor length or training regularly, there is a place for everyone.

The lido offers much more than lane swimming. Aquacise sessions attract people looking to stay active and connected. The sauna is a new addition and a popular one. A swim followed by a sauna creates another space for conversation, relaxation and wellbeing. Throughout the summer, family sessions ensure the pool remains a vibrant and inclusive community hub.

What I admire most is that none of this happened by chance. The lido exists today because local people fought for it. Volunteers, supporters and community groups invested their time and energy to secure its future. Whenever I swim there, I think back to that first sight of a closed pool and a handful of fundraising leaflets. Seeing it now, full of swimmers, laughter and life, feels like a reminder that some places are worth saving.

As summer comes to an end, I feel a slight sense of loss. Outdoor swimming has become such an important part of so many people’s physical and mental wellbeing that I often find myself wondering what it would take for the lido to remain open through the winter months. The sea and local lakes keep me swimming year-round, but there is a unique feeling within the lido’s walls.

Perhaps one day, with the same determination and community spirit that brought it back to life, winter swimming at Brightlingsea Lido could become a reality, too. It is certainly a thought worth pondering as I swim my final lengths of the season.