Many hands

keep a lido afloat.

Fernhill is run by a small team and a much bigger crowd of volunteers. Lifeguards and pool crew keep swimmers safe. Painters, gardeners and tile scrubbers keep the place beautiful. Winter wardens make the cold mornings possible, and the kiosk crew keeps everyone in tea. You do not need to be a strong swimmer to help. You need a few spare hours, a willingness to learn and a fondness for the smell of a pool in summer.

Two smiling volunteers in volunteer T-shirts holding brooms

Pick a role that suits your week. Training is free, and every shift ends with a swim if you want one.

Lifeguards

A swimmer in a white rubber cap resting her arms on a red life ring

Pool crew

Two smiling volunteers in volunteer T-shirts holding brooms

Hut painters

Three white huts with blue, pink and yellow doors

Tile scrubbers

A paint roller giving a white wall a fresh coat

Winter wardens

A woman in an outdoor pool surrounded by snowVolunteer with us

Poolside

A swimmer in a white rubber cap resting her arms on a red life ring

Grounds

Three white huts with blue, pink and yellow doors

Kiosk & gate

A rainbow-striped towel on a lounger beside an outdoor pool

Fernhill is imagined as a charitable community benefit society, run by volunteer trustees elected by its members. Names and roles are fictional; photographs are illustrative.

The people who hold the keys

Ruth Adeyemi

Chair of trustees

A retired midwife who swam here as a girl and chaired the first public meeting in 2019.

A smiling swimmer in a cap and goggles at the edge of the water

Owen Hughes

Head lifeguard

Trains every volunteer lifeguard and knows exactly how cold the water is by looking at it.

An older man with grey hair swimming

Lena Kowalski

Treasurer

Keeps the accounts, the share register and an emergency supply of biscuits.

A swimmer in a blue cap resting her chin on her hands at the pool edge

Sam Okoro

Volunteer coordinator

Matches every new volunteer to a shift they will enjoy, then sends a thank-you postcard.

A swimmer in a blue cap and goggles holding the pool edge

Why we volunteer

A row of striped wooden beach huts on a sandy path

Owen

Head lifeguard

“I trained as a lifeguard at sixty. Best decision I have made since I retired.”

A swimmer in a white rubber cap resting her arms on a red life ring

Priya

Hut painter

“I painted hut number twelve three times. It is still my favourite hut.”

Three white huts with blue, pink and yellow doors

Ana

Winter warden

“Winter mornings, a flask of tea and the bravest swimmers in town. What is not to love?”

A woman in an outdoor pool surrounded by snow

Tell us a little about yourself and the roles you like the sound of. Our volunteer coordinator will reply with training dates and next steps. This is a sample form for a fictional lido. Please do not enter health details or other sensitive information.

Volunteer with us

JOIN THE CREW

Tell us a little about yourself and the roles you like the sound of. Our volunteer coordinator will reply with training dates and next steps. This is a sample form for a fictional lido. Please do not enter health details or other sensitive information.

Your name

Your email

Which roles interest you?

Send my details