Golden Square Pool – your award winning pool

golden square pool facility management award 2023

Facility Management Award – Seasonal

On Friday 30 June 2023, we were thrilled to receive the Facility Management Award for the top Victorian seasonal pool for 2022 at the Aquatics & Recreation Victoria Awards.
This award acknowledges the organisation’s community impact, strategic direction, and retention of community involvement post-pandemic.

Golden Square Pool Inc. President Sam Kane said he was proud of the pool’s team of mighty volunteers, staff and community supporters for uniting to transform the facility.

“10 years ago we had a dream – to save our pool and make it something unique, and now that vision is a reality. Our pool is a special place for our whole community,” Mr Kane said.

“To think in 2012 the pool was closed, and a decade later we’ve been recognised as one of the top managed facilities in the state, is an outstanding achievement for our volunteers – and proves the power of everyday people coming together to achieve something great."

“This recognition is testament to the team’s ability to manage the facility to deliver the best outcomes – with our community, who have supported us every step of the way, always at the forefront of our minds


Our team of 100 volunteers and staff have worked so tirelessly in the decade since we saved the pool from closure. So much has happened, and there’s so much to be grateful for. Our members, patrons, businesses, volunteers and staff, who believed in our vision have helped make this a reality.

Comments from the Aquatics Recreation Victoria judges:

“Golden Square Pool is managed by a passionate group of individuals and a large number of volunteers that support the site.

They are genuinely caring and catering to their community, retaining community participation following the pandemic.

They were able to clearly articulate the things they have done in the past 12 months to bring the community back to the facility and retain volunteers.

They introduced their first celebration colour event which directly engaged the Indian community and have developed a four-year strategic community direction.

Golden Square Pool is a community hub, more than just a place to swim.” 

golden square pool volunteers 2023

Innovation Award

On Wednesday 20 November Golden Square Pool was named winners of the Innovation Award at the 2019 Volunteering Victoria State Awards during a ceremony held at Victoria’s Parliament House. This award is in recognition for our unique Junior Volunteer Team Program which encourages young people in our community to get involved and volunteer at our facility.
The program grew out of a need for our organisation to be inclusive of families by encouraging adults with children wanting to volunteer at the pool to take an active role. Young people are now encouraged to accompany their
parents/guardians to shifts, inducted and given specific tasks across kiosk, maintenance and events. This program teaches young people skills in serving customers, working as part of a team, contributing to community and being part of something powerful – giving them valuable experience not available anywhere else, to help prepare them for their future.
Our inaugural program last season was a major success, and this summer we have seen a significant increase in families joining our team to volunteer, as they are welcomed and encouraged to bring their children with them. Our young families are the future of Golden Square Pool, our juniors are incredible, and give so much to our organisation. It wouldn’t be the same without them. 

golden square pool innovation award 2019
golden square pool awards

On Wednesday it was an honour for our organisation to stand alongside the Country Fire Authority, who also took out an innovation award, and have the work that we are doing acknowledged and validated. It was also great to have Junior member Ronan there to represent the team, he was a great ambassador for the Juniors and for our organisation.
Thank you to our Committee of Management for embracing young people, to take a chance and try something new for the benefit of our facility. Thank you to the members of the Junior Team, who have proved our faith in them was justified. They have all stepped up to the challenge and made us all so proud. Last, but by no means least, thank you to our patrons, volunteers and community for the support and faith in our team, this is the why we do it.

VV_Annual_Awards_Nov_2019-56 photo credit:
Photo courtesy Volunteering Victoria 

MORE

State Community Group Award

On Friday 11 October 2019, Golden Square Pool was honoured to receive the state Community Group Award in the Victorian Regional Achievement and Community Awards at a Gala Dinner in Melbourne, in recognition for volunteers’ work in transforming the swimming pool into a vibrant community hub for Golden Square and Bendigo.

The award “recognises groups that make a significant contribution to their community. These community groups share a strong sense of team spirit, and play a vital role in enhancing the social, economic, commercial and environmental prosperity of their region.”

Receiving the award was testament to the continuous hard work and dedication of over 100 past and present volunteers in creating a vibrant and inclusive space for live music, learn to swim classes, volunteering programs, a Community Garden, health and wellbeing classes and more.

We are truly overwhelmed to have received this state recognition. For our volunteers, it shows that people care about the work they are undertaking, and it is having an impact on people’s lives.

When we saved our pool in 2013, we set out to transform the facility – and we believe that we have achieved that to the best of our ability. This award shows that not only is this extraordinary work and effort by everyday people valued by our community and our state, but people power is making a difference in our world. 

golden square pool regional award
Victorian Regional Achievement and Community Awards golden square pool

This award is a tribute to every single person – volunteers, supporters and the 90,000 patrons, who have contributed to Golden Square Pool since it was saved by a strong community campaign in 2013.

Past and present volunteers, our Committee of Management, our patrons and members, and our sponsors and donors should be so proud of everything they have done to make this pool what it is. Without them we wouldn’t be in the strong position we are today.

This award is more than just a title, a trophy, it tells our volunteers that the work they are doing in running an outdoor swimming pool is valued and is making a difference to people’s lives – people power at its best, and is another step forward in helping us to secure the future of our beloved community facility.

We will never give up our fight to ensure that Golden Square residents have a place they can gather to cool off, relax and gather as a community.

2019/2020 will be our seventh season and volunteers are preparing to make it bigger than ever before with new events, programs and plans. The season commences on Saturday 16 November.

Thank you Awards Australia, PRIME7, The Weekly Times and Bank of Melbourne for their sponsorship and promotion of this award.

Sam Kane, President 

Links

Golden Square Pool nomination package

Bendigo Advertiser

Sam on Gold FM after the award

Weekly Times Gallery