A Penryn charity shop has donated £500 towards the last existing school swimming pool in the area which is used by 650 children a week, but is not eligible for grant funding.

The pool at Penryn Junior School costs £10,000 a year to run and this is raised through fees charged to the six other schools who make use of the facility. There is no additional money, though for any additional maintenance or extras so the school relies on donations to cover this.

Parent Sandra Wilkinson almost single-handedly drums up as much cash as she can and last week was grateful to the Higher Market Street charity shop, Penryn Treasures, whose manager, Rachel Painter, handed over a cheque for £500 which had been raised in store.

The money will go towards a project to create a new porch at the entrance to the pool building which will help protect children from the wind and cold in winter. Also on the school pool’s wish-list are two dehumidifiers, a new changing area and ultimately, a new purpose built pool, but at a cost of at least £250,000 that is a long way off.

“This is the last pool left in the area that is purpose-built,” said Sandra. “Teachers and instructors can walk all the way round and there is no deep end so children feel safe and secure in there.

“We have raised £23,000 in three years, but because the pool is not open to the public it’s not eligible for grant funding because it’s not a community pool.”

The 35-year-old pool is used daily by pupils brought in from neighbouring Penryn Infants School as well as Marlborough and King Charles Schools in Falmouth and Mylor, Flushing and Mabe primaries.