In response to strong consumer demand, Guildford Lido in Surrey, UK will stay open, and heated, throughout the winter.

Freedom Leisure, which manages the lido on behalf of Guildford Borough Council, is introducing monthly and annual membership packages to suit all budgets and customers can also pay per swim. A winter timetable starts on 1 October, with slightly shorter opening hours. To maintain the atmosphere and experience, the cafe will also remain open.

Lead councillor for leisure, Catherine Houston, says: “Year-round outdoor swimming is something that the council has been asked about for many years and I am pleased that we’ve been able to deliver on this. It means there will be much more opportunity for residents to stay active, connect with others, and enjoy Guildford’s leisure heritage in a fresh new way.”

Freedom Leisure CEO, Ivan Horsfall Turner, says: “Open-air swimming supports health and wellbeing, gives people access to nature and offers an inclusive, affordable activity that appeals to a wide range of ages and backgrounds. By opening all year round, we’re making the lido a true community asset rather than just a seasonal facility.”

Many outdoor swimming pools and lidos are keeping remaining open for the winter but not heating the water due to costs. Horsfall Turner says that investment in energy-efficient boilers is allowing the heating to stay on. A modern pool cover will also be fitted to reduce heat loss and further improve efficiency.

Horsfall Turner says: “While heating is an investment, these upgrades mean we can balance energy use with affordability, and they will also help reduce the lido’s environmental impact in the long term.”

Swimming was tipped as an upcoming trend in Foresight in this year’s HCM Handbook. Although swimming pools are often maligned as being expensive to run and 500 have been shut in the UK in the last 15 years, we believe there's a whole world of swimming to be explored beyond children’s swimming lessons. Many people embraced outdoor swimming during the pandemic and this interest has continued. There is also an increasing body of evidence to show the benefits of cold water swimming for mental health and cold plunging as part of the recovery trend is supporting the appetite to get into cold water.

Those who can't tolerate it are swimming in wetsuits, with wetsuit sales growing fast.