DISABLED pool users will now enjoy state of the art swimming facilities thanks to a National Lottery award of £214, 600.

The Lottery's Community Funds Awards Committee granted the huge sum to upgrade The Thamesdown Hydrotherapy Pool in Jeffries Avenue.

The cash will help improve disabled access to the pool and pay for new changing facilities and poolside equipment.

Staff were given the good news yesterday.

The pool was opened in July 1979 near Crowdy's Hill School.

More than 35,000 people travel from across the West to use it every year.

It works by giving those with temporary and permanent disabilities the chance to exercise without gravity weighing down on their muscles.

Users experience a lot more movement than they can out of water and the process is said to aid recovery where the disability is temporary.

Chairman of the Hydrotherapy Pool Association, Peter Jones, said: "We are of course absolutely delighted because this is the first lottery application we have been successful with.

"We hope that improvement work to the changing facilities will double the amount of changing space and increase the length of time people spend in the pool."

The grant was one of 27 given to projects in the South West, totalling more than £2 million across the region.

If you are interested in applying for a Community Award on behalf of a charity or community organisation call 0845 7919191 for an application pack.

For Hydrotherapy Pool enquiries call 496002.

www.community-fund.org.uk