In 1927, 84-year-old Miss Georgina Runciman and her niece, both shareholders in the college, donated a sum of £6000 which enabled the first swimming pool at the newly established St Cuthbert’s Epsom Campus. The generosity of their donation allowed the construction of a notably modern facility at the time with the latest water filters, an electrical cleaning system, as well as changing rooms with showers. Many of the St Cuthbert’s community will remember the Runciman Pool, which stood alongside the pool and diving pool, which were built in 1967. A junior pool was added to the pool complex in 1987, and in 1991 the Runciman Pool was covered so it could be heated for year-round use. This complex of pools was named the Margaret Beale Swimming Centre and officially opened in March 1992. All were demolished in 2014 when the Centennial Centre for Wellbeing, including the new Margaret Beale Aquatic Centre, was built.
Pictured below: Miss Runciman visited the Baths in 1928, seen here sitting with flowers to the left of Trust Board Chair, James Robertson.
Pictured below: 1930 Diving, Runciman Pool
Pictured below: in 1969, a new pool was built beside the Runciman Bath and in 1991 it was then covered and heated for all-year round use.
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