It's been a busy year at Clevedon Marine Lake - and we couldn't have done it without you.
A mermaid arrives to tell stories at Lake Day on May 7th
It's been another bumper year with more visitors than ever and more improvements to the lake itself since its renovation in 2015. Although North Somerset Council owns the lake, it's leased by a charity called Marlens that keeps it in tip-top condition. But we couldn't do that without your support and donations.
What have we done in 2022?
In March and October, we drained the lake, did a litter-pick and treasure hunt of the lake bed, and removed silt and mud. We fixed broken railings, installed non-slip step covers on the slippery steps and fixed a leaking penstock. We installed new signage and a digital lake thermometer, improved the website, replaced the broken doors on the lock-up where we keep our tools, monitored the water quality and did daily litter picks - sometimes twice daily during the heat wave.
But our biggest project of all was building the Hive, a hub for our volunteers and also an accessible changing room, which people will be able to use next summer. We also have a new hoist to help people with disabilities access the water.
How have we done it?
In a sentence, with your support! That's donors, volunteers, clubs and coaches and people who came to events. Every person who puts £2 in the donation box when they visit, buys a bobble hat, books a coached session, joins as a Friend of the lake, plays the lottery, helps at a drain down or picks up litter contributes to the lake's amazing environment and community. It doesn't matter how big or small your contribution was - every bit helps.
"It's been an amazing year. The lake has a vibrant, thriving community that's just continued to grow," said Rowan Clarke, who has just retired as Chair of Trustees for Marlens, the charity that runs the lake. "My personal highlights were the 24-hour relay which raised amazing funds for a charity that provides swimming lessons for children with disabilities called Level Water, and Lake Day, which brought together our wonderful community on, in and around the water."
"I'm also really excited to see the Hive being used by our wonderful volunteers, and can't wait to see it being used by people with disabilities in 2023," she said.
Rowan has handed over the role of Chair of Trustees to Sarah Swash. "Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so generously to Clevedon Marine Lake this year," says Sarah. "Your gifts really do make a huge difference and mean that we can continue to maintain and improve the lake, which is such a fantastic and important site. Everything we have delivered this year has been made possible by the generosity of all those who contribute - both donors and volunteers - and some who are both! Your continued support means that we can keep looking after our wonderful lake into the future."
From all of us at Marlens, we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year.