1_Description of the intervention

The aim for our small-scale intervention was to encapsulate our intentions for the use of the Fenham pool as an open workshop where people can use the facilities to repair or produce items. We did this by making a table with scrap material found in skips to show how we reused different items to produce something new as well as repair some chairs to show how people can use the tool provided by our intervention to repair broken items. The intention was to gather the opinions of the residents about how our intervention fits into the local community and their input on our initial ideas.

2_What we have learned from it

• The pool symbolizes Fenham’s pride as it embodies feelings and memories of many generations; therefore, residents would wish to see the pool renovated or repurposed Unfortunately, budget is the biggest restraint on renovating the pool.
• The pool is also the ‘activist’ opponent, or an ‘open door’ for refurbishment.
• The re-opened place should include elements that make people feel welcome.
• Workshops can be held in the Fenham library or within the furnished space of the pool to teach local residents with new skills and make them feel accomplished.
  • It is important to get people from the Fenham community to be involved in the workshops and activities.
• Rather than disposing of unwanted items as trash in backlanes and gardens, the pool could be used as a recycling center for residents to drop off items.
  • Collection or drop off of unwanted items and repairing must be free of charge.
• Environmentally friendly and sustainable items, such as pallets (wood), can be reused and built as front garden furniture for engagement of the community.

Phase 3 – Parliamentary Debate

We created this flyer to hand out at the paliament on 14th May to the locals of fenham. Attached is a question passed to them about what they wanted the future of the pool to be with example ideas to get them thinking about creative reuse.