Hydrotherapy Pool for Pioneering Care Partnership
Hydrotherapy Pool for Pioneering Care Partnership
In September 2024, P+HS celebrated the completion of the Hydrotherapy Pool and Options Room Extension at the Pioneering Care Centre in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. The PCP’s Hydrotherapy pool is one of the region’s only self-referral, fully accessible community pools of its type. Offering over 7,000 appointments annually, the hydrotherapy pool has benefited countless individuals over its 25 years, but had become oversubscribed and outdated, necessitating a complete overhaul.
P+HS Architects have worked closely with the charity and contractor MGM Construction to redevelop the pool, doubling capacity, and ensuring that it meets modern standards, allowing more people to benefit from its state-of-the-art facilities for years to come. We have also designed an extension to the Options Room, a multipurpose activity space used by a range of people with varying needs. The new facilities will provide better capacity to deliver the first-class sessions that members love, which promote independence and social inclusion. In addition to increasing the space, the new extension includes a new kitchen area and outdoor access to a communal garden and seating area.
See our Site Story of this project to watch the new extension come to life and view some transformative before-and-after shots.
Carol Gaskarth, PCP’s Chief Executive, expressed her excitement about the improvements and said, “As a charity, this is the start of an exciting journey for PCP, after years of planning, fundraising, and securing grants, PCP invested over £1 million to bring this ambitious project to life and ensure we can continue to support as many people as possible with our charity mission of ‘Health, Wellbeing and Learning for All’.
With their newly improved facilities and expanded options room, the Pioneering Care Partnership now offers a broader range of sessions to the community, including fitness classes, daily living skills training, adult education programs, and workshops focused on building confidence, self-esteem, and promoting healthy living.
The upgraded hydrotherapy pool, now with doubled capacity, provides greater access to vital care and therapeutic relief. Its enhanced features, such as fully accessible changing rooms, downgrade pool steps with supportive railings, and an Innova dipper chair hoist, ensure inclusivity and comfort for all users. The addition of a massage fountain and water jets further elevates the experience, making sessions like pain relief therapy and swimming lessons even more effective and enjoyable.