Puddle Ducks’ flagship pool at Barons Quay in Northwich is coming along swimmingly. With a launch date in late August, the pool is already filling up fast- with high demand for Puddle Ducks child-led lessons after the pandemic.
It is the first pool to be built in a retail unit, in Northwich’s own Barons Quay. This is a return to their roots, as the baby and child swimming school was launched by Jo Stone in Northwich in 2002, and their Mid-Cheshire franchise operated from the town. Their flagship pool has been years in the making- it was part of Jo’s dream when launching the company, and they wanted to get it just right. Jo and her team are beyond excited to see it reach completion in the next month.
Jo and Tracy Townend launched Puddle Ducks after taking their own children to swimming lessons in Northwich. They had a eureka moment after spotting a gap in the market for high-quality children’s swimming lessons which were also fun for both children and their parents. Tracy is no longer in the business day-to-day after an illness in 2016 but she is still on the Board.
The pool is their first to have been built for the Mid-Cheshire franchise, who also run classes from pools in Weaverham, Cheadle Hulme, Macclesfield and Runcorn. Located opposite the Odeon cinema and next to Sticky Paws café in Barons Quay, the pool adds to the ever-growing range of facilities and family attractions in the town centre.
Custom built for their Baby & Pre-school and Swim Academy lessons, the pool will be exclusively used for Puddle Ducks swimming lessons and for the training of their teachers. Kitted out with high-spec and child-friendly facilities, the pool will allow families to enjoy learning to swim in an inclusive and accessible environment.
Jo Stone comments: “We are all so excited to see the pool coming together. It has been highly anticipated, and it will mean so much to have our own pool in the town where we launched nearly 20 years ago. From just one team in Northwich, Puddle Ducks has grown across the UK- with franchise offices from Glasgow to Kent, teaching over 20,000 children and babies to swim each week.”
Since launching the business 19 years ago, building this pool has always been on the agenda. Jo continues: “It’s wonderful to be creating a really special and a unique attraction in the town. The demand for lessons at the new pool has been astronomical, and due to pent up demand from a year of missed lessons and with COVID-19 safety measures in place, our current classes are full. We will be adding more classes as we move forward and will be opening our waiting lists once more to local little swimmers!”
Lina Higuita, centre manager at Barons Quay comments: “Puddle Ducks is a well-established and much-loved business that has benefitted children and families for almost 20 years. We’re delighted that they are opening their flagship pool here at Barons Quay. It will enhance the family offering that already exists and bring a much needed service to the town centre.”
To find out more about Puddle Ducks, please call 01477 410080 or visit https://www.puddleducks.com/
