March News: BLU Becomes A Charity

Welcome to the latest BLU newsletter.

After one of the rainiest winters on record, it is nice to see the sun finally come out so we can enjoy the lido to the full. This newsletter has a roundup of what has been happening at the lido and what BLU has been up to.

Girly Dips IWD

On 7th March 2026, Girly Dips hosted an IWD event at Brockwell Lido to raise funds in aid of CRUK. The community saw over 65 women attend the dip, where everyone got involved with a warm-up led by Pilates Rhi to some Shania Twain to get the blood pumping, followed by a cold swim across two lanes, finishing with an incredible raffle full of prizes and goodies from brand partners, including; RED Equipment, Speedo, Nonni drinks, Zoggs + many more. The event ended with hot soups provided by Bella at Soul Kitchen and coffees in the 400 Rabbits Lido Cafe. Girly Dips raised just over £1,600 for CRUK and Lowri, the founder and host, has said how proud everyone is of how well the morning went and of course buzzing to have raised so much money and awareness. To follow the community on social media, head to @Girlydips.

The Swimmer

On Valentine's Day Brockwell Lido was the end destination for "The Swimmer", an epic event in its 12th year that involves a half marathon run from Hampstead with 4 cold water dips on the way including Hampstead Ponds, Parliament Hill, The Serpentine and home to Brockwell for welcome hot drinks and pizza.

The Swimmer event was repeated again on 14th March.

Brockwell FreezeFest

Organised by Brockwell Swimmers, FreezeFest brought together cold-water athletes, club swimmers and spectators in January. The volunteer event was designed to reflect the growing popularity of cold water swimming.

BLU becomes a charity!

At the November AGM we outlined our plans to obtain charitable status. We are delighted to confirm that the Charity Commission has granted our application for charitable status as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (“CIO”). The application was approved on an expedited basis, and we are very grateful to Helen Hayes MP for her support.

Having charitable status is a huge step forward for BLU and for all users of the Lido. The main advantages are that:

• We can apply for grant funding for the Lido

• We have significant tax advantages, including Gift Aid on donations

• The CIO is a separate legal entity, so it can make contracts or hold property, enhancing our ability to represent Lido users when dealing with third parties

• CIO members and trustees are safeguarded from liabilities

• The CIO model we have chosen allows simplified compliance, reporting to the Charity Commission only.

We have moved quickly to set up our processes and arrangements to ensure that the CIO can represent Lido users effectively. We have already had positive and encouraging discussions with institutional funders and relevant third parties.

BLU EGM – Station Hall, Herne Hill Station, 6-8pm on Sunday 22nd March 2026

At the November AGM Fusion explained their financial difficulties and indicated that if they could not resolve them they may go into administration, which is a type of court-approved insolvency.

There is still no firm news about Fusion’s future. Fusion is now over 400 days late filing its accounts. Therefore, the immediate future of the Lido remains uncertain. All we do know is that:

• The Lido is in a dilapidated state, it appears to need significant repairs, and matters seem to be getting steadily worse

• Any incoming operator will therefore be reluctant to take on the Lido in its present state without being incentivised to undertake necessary repairs

• We understand that Lambeth does not have funds to do the necessary repairs; but very importantly

• The Lido generates very significant profits each year; and a charity such as the BLU CIO can access grant funding to help finance the repairs.

The EGM is being held to explain to Lido users the current situation, what BLU has been doing since the November AGM to protect the Lido’s short-term future and our ideas for the longer term, now that we have charitable status.

The EGM is an excellent opportunity for you to have your say on the Lido’s future, and to let Lambeth councillors know how important the Lido is to our community and our expectations of them to ensure that the community has a role and a voice in its future.

We are hoping that Helen Hayes MP, who spoke so effectively on behalf of users at the AGM, will be able to attend, together with some Lambeth councillors.

We are excited by the level of interest already shown in the EGM, which reflects our belief that many people in the community consider the Lido to be an essential part of their lives.

We understand that some people may not be able to attend and so we have set up an ad hoc Zoom link. Note, the meeting is primarily intended as an in-person meeting and we recommend that this Zoom link is not intended as a like-for-like replacement for in person attendance. We will be using a single microphone to capture audio, which means that some speakers and members of the audience may not be audible. We apologise for this in advance.

If you can’t attend and want to express a view, please email us.

Please attend and make your voice heard!

WANT TO JOIN US?

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. We want the lido to continue being our very own “oasis in the city”, readily accessible to everyone in the local community and with clean and well-maintained facilities.

We cannot do this without you! We need your help to keep the pressure on Lambeth and Fusion and if you have skills, to help us with our community venture, please contact us.