Pool Appeal

You did it!

Thank you so much to everyone who’s supported our pool crowd funder. You donated online and at our shops and raised an amazing £19,438 and unlocked an additional £15,000 in matched funding.
While the closure of our Hampton pool has been challenging, we’re now looking forward to reopening this special space for families to enjoy again. To stay updated on our pool refurbishment and follow the journey to it reopening, be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our monthly eNews.

Ellen, Soph’s mum, shares the importance of the hydrotherapy pool to their family, and the impact its current closure has had on them.

Ginny, Physiotherapist

“Hydrotherapy can make a huge difference to the children and young people we support. In the water, they can move more freely, stretch muscles and joints, relax and build strength. Being in the water offers a sense of independence that can be difficult to replicate elsewhere. The group sessions we run, Tadpoles and Ducklings, offer more than just swim sessions – they are a supportive community for both children and parents. Seeing the pool closed is very hard, especially as some families are not able to travel to our hospice in Guildford and children and young people are missing out; we would love to be able to welcome back families as soon as possible – so I encourage our supporters to please donate what they can towards our appeal.”

Why we need our pool fixed

Exercise and Physiotherapy

The hydrotherapy pools at Shooting Star are looked after by our physiotherapy team. Being in the water is a great way to build and develop muscles, especially for children and young people who are in a wheelchair for much of the day.

A safe space for families

Families we support find our hydrotherapy pools a fantastic place to come and be together. Often children with more complex needs are less able to visit public pools. Our hydrotherapy pools also don’t use the harsh chemicals that might interfere with medical equipment.

A vital resource

According to research by Muscular Dystrophy UK there are more hydrotherapy pools available to animals than people (362 pools for animals vs 179 pools for people when the research was carried out). With so few facilities its vital that we get our pool up and running again.

How our hydrotherapy makes a difference

300

Number of sessions we hope to hold once the pool at Shooting Star House is open again.

Babies and toddlers attending our Tadpoles session for babies and parents.

Children coming to our Ducklings sessions for pre-schoolers and parents.

1511

People who have used our pools over the last 12 months.