Campaigners fighting to protect Carlisle’s Turkish Baths received a triple boost this week, including a £19,500 grant.
The grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund will enable the Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths to hire expert architects and a business advisor to assess the viability of their vision for the James Street Baths.
The friends believe that expanding the Turkish Baths to include the 20m pool in the public baths and adding treatment rooms and a cafe would attract even more users to the Grade II listed facility – one of only 12 remaining in the UK.
The Friends also want to open an affordable community laundry in the old laundry room of the baths and look at how the 10m pool could form part of a new health and hydrotherapy centre.
Campaigners said they were confident that putting all the existing facilities and space in the Public Baths to use would guarantee the future of the 138-year-old building.
News of the grant came on the same day that the number of people following the campaign’s Facebook page topped 3,000 and broadcaster, Melvyn Bragg lent his support to calls for the baths to be retained.
Lord Bragg said: “Carlisle Public Baths has provided an outstanding service for the city for over 100 years. It looks set to continue to do so for the next 100 years. It makes a great contribution to the uniqueness of the city and were it to go it would be a great loss.”
The friends celebrated the good news by giving the lounge of the Turkish Baths a facelift.
Emma Desborough-Hartley, from the Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths, said: “From day one we have been 100 per cent committed to doing everything we possibly can to protect and enhance this building.
“From fundraising and campaigning, to running heritage tours and raising awareness, we have rolled up our sleeves and turned our hands to anything we think will help secure the future of these beautiful baths. This week we have been hard at work restyling the lounge to give it a period feel. I won’t spoil the surprise, but I think what we’ve achieved will make a visit to the baths even more of a treat!”
Campaigners called on Carlisle City Council to appoint an operator for the Turkish Baths to take over from Greenwich Leisure Ltd, whose contract is due to end when new pools open at The Sands Centre in October.
