Please join these amazing people and organisations who support Yorkshire Swim Works and the vision for Kettlewell Reservoir in St.Ives, Bingley. 

West Yorkshire Combined Authority supports the vision for Yorkshire Swim Works in Bingley St Ives. An inspirational piece of social infrastructure combining private and social investment to deliver economic regeneration and decades of positive impact on the health and wellbeing of the people of West Yorkshire.

The focus on sustainability, biodiversity and building active and green transport solutions is aligned with our objectives as an organisation.

Encouraging participation in the beautiful nature of West Yorkshire, we hope Yorkshire Swim Works will be a catalyst for further regeneration of the wider estate.

We know it is massively important that people have a broad range of opportunities available to them so that they can be active in any way that suites them.

Over the last few years the number of people taking part in open water swimming have more than doubled across the country and indications this is a similar case for Yorkshire.

Strong evidence is emerging regarding the benefits of open water swimming to people’s mental and physical health and we welcome any development to ensure more safe, high quality opportunities are available. T

he proposals by Yorkshire Swim Works for the development at St Ives Park look to be unique, innovative and exciting; not only offering those safe, high quality opportunities to swim outdoors but acting as catalyst for further development that will encourage wider activity pursuits along with contributing to improving the local nature. We look forward to the vision to be realised as the project comes to fruition.

It’s really exciting to see proposals to reopen Kettlewell Reservoir on Bingley’s St Ives Estate as an open air swimming and leisure facility come forward. We know how vital physical activity is for mental and physical health and well-being.

We know outdoor swimming is increasingly popular. And as Chair of the UK City of Culture in 2025 I hope this facility will be enjoyed by Bradford District’s families and communities in the coming years – a place to come together, to play together and to create stories and memories that last a lifetime.

The Yorkshire Swim Works will be a fantastic investment into the health of the people of West Yorkshire. Encouraging physical activity in a natural surrounding whilst being safe and accessible for all. A place to learn to swim in cold and warm water, boosting water confidence and inspiring the next generation of outdoor swimmers. What a great idea.

Outdoor swimming has become an increasingly popular activity over recent years but would-be swimmers suffer from a lack of facilities generally and in the district. Yorkshire Swim Works have brought forward an exciting proposal that would provide more people with an all year round, high quality, safe and accessible facility. The project would provide much needed new jobs and stimulate further interest and funding in the estate. The Council at this stage is committed in principle to working with Yorkshire Swim Works to deliver the project and its health and employment benefits

Yorkshire Swim Works proposed development at the Kettlewell Reservoir on the St.Ives Estate in Bingley displays just the sorts of imaginative investment thinking that is needed to get the best for people and Bingley. The triple whammy of healthier people, place and nature has to be what we’re all aiming for and this delivers it in spades.

Lidos are wonderfully inclusive, playful and joyous places where our communities can come together in all their glorious diversity. Yorkshire Swim Works will be a beautiful place for the combined communities of West Yorkshire to connect with nature, with this unique location, and with each other.

Yorkshire Swim Works have worked in collaboration Bradford City Council on a shared ambition to find a site for the community to promote health, leisure and fun. Evidence consistently shows the existence of public demand for spaces to swim outdoors, and the wide social and economic value that these places can deliver. This is an exciting ambitious sustainable proposal that will create a welcoming destination for a diverse population to enjoy. This proposal is Bradford truly embracing City of Culture 2025 as a catalyst for positive change.

We are delighted to be official supporters of the Yorkshire Swim Works project. Just like Yorkshire Swim Works we believe in bringing people together for improved mental health. Outdoor swim locations are not always accessible by public transport and water quality has been a huge issue over the past few years.

We have had to cancel many of our peer support swims due to sewage problems and would love for there to be more venues like Yorkshire Swim Works with safe water, excellent transport routes and organisers who really care about their community.

By working together we can make outdoor swimming available to a wider range of people. Community hubs are essential to tackle loneliness and isolation faced by many individuals. 

I cannot think of a better use for an abandoned reservoir than a location for outdoor swimming for the local population.

During the last few years, in spite of the excellent work by organisations such as the “Friends of St. Ives”, it is clear that some revitalisation of the St. Ives estate is overdue. For this reason, and for the benefit of the local community, I am really excited about the project to create an open swimming area, free of nausive chemicals, in a disused reservoir, using the pure water that the estate has to offer. I believe that the project will be of great value to the whole community as well as embellishing, in a natural way, a previously abandoned area of the beautiful St. Ives Estate.