Bramley Mermaids: How a group of Yorkshire women are helping synchonised swimming to thrive

The enthusiasts – all of them women – were inspired to join a group set up 10 years ago when Bramley Baths became a community-led group.

The Bramley Mermaids as they are known are run by Lucy Meredith and Zoe Parker and count more than 150 members on their Facebook group.

"It all started 10 years ago and we now have a happy and thriving group,” said Ms Meredith.

"We have performed nationally at events in Brighton and Manchester but mainly we gather at Bramleys on Sundays and just have a good time.

"We don’t have any men in the group but if they were interested then we would set up a mixed group or a male group.”

Bramley Baths is a "community-led, not-for-profit centre for fitness, health and fun”, which houses a public gym, swimming pool, steam room and space for community events, meetings and fitness classes.

Built on the site of a foundry, Bramley Baths first opened as a pool and public bath house in 1904, enabling locals to wash, swim and use the new Russian Steam Baths – fashionable with the Edwardians as a healthy past-time.

The foundry chimney, built with 8,000 Kirkstall bricks, still towers over the baths and can be seen from across Leeds.

On January 1 2013, the doors opened to a new era, with a new management team in place running the baths as a social enterprise, having delivered a successful asset transfer of the building from Leeds Council.

Bramley Baths has been championed by local residents and supporters all over the UK and beyond, determined to provide an affordable space for health and fitness, and to ensure the survival of this beautiful Grade II-listed building.

The purpose, vision and long term aims were written by Friends of Bramley Baths to reflect the views of the individuals who joined together to ensure a future for Bramley Baths as a social enterprise.

The purpose is to act as a social hub for the benefit of the community; provide a centre for fitness, fun and well being; enable people to swim and to learn how to swim; and preserve a historic treasure and a local asset.

Bramley Baths is the only remaining Edwardian bath-house in Leeds and is Grade II listed.

In 2011 due to the possibility that the facility could be shut down completely, a public meeting was organised by local residents to find out what the community wanted to see happen to the building.

Lots of older residents reminisced about the baths, but it was clear that it was the sports facilities as well as the building itself that the community wanted to save. The Friends of Bramley Baths group was established to help save the baths.