Our Mission

To manage, develop and enhance Jubilee Park and its associated activities for the long term leisure, economic, social and cultural benefit of the community, in keeping with the spirit of the original gift from Lady Weigall.

 

On the 2nd of May 2014, Jubilee Park Woodhall Spa Ltd (JPWS) took over the operation and management of Jubilee Park on a 99 year lease with the pool opening for the season the next day. JPWS is responsible for the open air swimming pool (Lido), touring caravan site and communal gardens.

JPWS is a not-for-profit organisation set up as a company limited by guarantee (Company number – 8912577). It is also a registered Charity (charity number - 1159068).

History:

Jubilee Park was created for the benefit of the people of Woodhall Spa by Lady Weigall, who built nearby Petwood, now the famous hotel, as her country house. The park was opened in 1935 by Princess Marie Louise and named to mark the Jubilee of King George V. In its earliest days it was known as ‘The Royal Jubilee Park’.

In 1947 the whole park was gifted to the Urban District Council (UDC) and between 1947 and 1974 the UDC put considerable investment into the park and swimming pool and marketed it countywide. Jubilee Park was as synonymous with Woodhall Spa as the Kinema in the Woods and golf (now the home of the English Golf Union).

Following local government re-organisation in 1974, the UDC eventually agreed to transfer the park to East Lindsey District Council (ELDC), who were keen to add it to their new property portfolio. Jubilee Park then comprised, an open air swimming pool (Lido), communal gardens, caravan site, tennis club and cricket club. The tennis club and cricket club have operated independently for many years under a leased agreement with ELDC. Some investment took place but over the next 30 years it became increasingly apparent that the park and its facilities would have trouble competing for funds with other, newer, leisure venues in the district.

In 2005 when the future of the pool, the café and consequently the park, were in serious doubt, it was not surprising that the community would unite to put pressure on ELDC to invest and save it. The same passions were aroused when it was proposed to close the park’s caravan site, with people across the county signing petitions in the belief that not just the caravans, but the park itself was under threat. Woodhall Spa without Jubilee Park would not be Woodhall Spa, and Jubilee Park without the pool would not be Jubilee Park. Woodhall Spa is the acknowledged ‘Jewel in the Crown’ of East Lindsey. Jubilee Park is the ‘Jewel in the Crown’ of Woodhall Spa.

Transfer of ownership of Jubilee Park to Woodhall Spa Parish Council took Place in April of 2011. This transfer was accompanied by significant investment in ‘failing’ parts of the infrastructure – not least the swimming pool basin and the infrastructure of the caravan park. This injection of capital has secured the operational ability of the Park along with ensuring that key areas remain compliant with necessary legislative requirements.

With this operational ability secured, we now needed to secure the park's financial future under local ownership. The first four years were broadly successful although involving a steep learning curve.  It quickly became apparent, however, that the Parish Council wasn't set up in a way that could sustain Jubilee Park in the long term and a group of volunteers stepped up to look at possible ways forward.

On the 2^nd of May 2014, The Parish Council handed over the operation and management of the swimming pool, caravan site and communal gardens to Jubilee Park Woodhall Spa Ltd (JPWS) on a 99-year lease. JPWS took over from this point with the pool opening for the season the next day. The cricket and tennis clubs in the Park maintained separate leases.

Fit for the Future

Since then the park has come to thrive as an important social, economic and sporting hub for the area. An ongoing programme of continuous improvements across the facility has seen a totally revamped children’s play area, new planting in the gardens,  a dedicated sensory garden and from 2020, an all-year round health & Fitness suite and refurbished reception and changing facilities. Other ambitious developments are planned.

Images courtesy of the Woodhall Spa Cottage Museum

Your Trustees:

 Emma Brealey (Chair) – Director of the Petwood Hotel.

Emma brings a wealth of local knowledge and business management capability specifically orientated around the leisure market. She is experienced in sales and marketing, management, strategic development and HR.

 Tim Peacock – Retired Headteacher

Tim has been a Woodhall Spa resident since 1982 and is a retired secondary headteacher.  He is our project and grant coordinator and his most recent success has been to raise funds for upgrading the children's play park.  He is a governor of the village primary school and more generally provides contacts and coordination with schools and education providers.  He served for four years as vice-chairman of Woodhall Spa Parish Council and is a past president and current member of Horncastle Rotary club.

 Jon Finley – Business Development Director

Jon is a consummate business professional with a wealth of experience in business development, budget management and operational efficiency. He plays a key role in our finance committee and works closely with the Operations Director and accountant to ensure that we stay “on track”.

 Julie Pole – Retired Nurse Practitioner

Julie was brought up in Tattershall and has lived in Woodhall spa since 1984. She worked at Tasburgh Lodge surgery for 27 years as a Nurse practitioner in General Practice. During the past few years, she has helped raise thousands of pounds for Jubilee Park primarily focussed on preserving and developing the gardens. Julie contributes to health education initiatives connected with sport and recreation. Julie provides contacts and coordination among healthcare providers.

 Amarylis Midgley – Retired PR Consultant

Amarylis Midgley was born in Woodhall Spa and returned here after university. Originally a journalist she then moved into industry rising to senior management in sales and marketing in a corporate manufacturing environment before starting her own business to business PR Consultancy working for international clients.  During this time she spent more than 20 years as a parish councillor, was a Founder Trustee of the Cottage Museum and became Vice-Chairman of Governors at Horncastle Grammar School. Now retired,  she has been swimming in since she was six months old.

 Kim Barr – Health Care Professional

Kim was Chair of the Friends of Jubilee Park, a group focussed on supporting and saving the park when threatened with closure by East Lindsey District Council. Her leadership and coordination of the local community helped to secure the transfer of the park into its current status and secure its immediate future. Kim works for the local NHS trust and provides a key link between JPWS and the health care industry.

 Harriet Lee – Secondary School Teacher

Harriet is a local secondary school teacher who during her own school education and university studies worked at Jubilee Park initially as a lifeguard rising to Duty Manager. She brings an excellent understanding of the Park’s operation and interaction with its employees and crucially some youth to the trustee body.