The inspiration for this project came from the late Rose Richardson supported alongside by her Husband, Dave.

Rose, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the late 1990’s, spearheaded fundraising efforts with her Husband Dave through their organisation ‘Hydro 16’ to bring a Hydrotherapy pool to the Rochdale area.

As Rose’s condition worsened, she was advised to visit a hydrotherapy pool to help manage her pain. A hydrotherapy pool is particularly helpful for treating Parkinson's symptoms because the temperature is higher than a normal swimming pool which helps muscles to relax; easing joints, reducing pain, and making gentle exercise much easier. Unfortunately, the family didn’t have access to facilities locally.

Dave and Rose managed to raise a substantial amount over the years, through hosting various events / functions. In 2021, Hydro 16 were awarded a £100,000 grant from Viridor Limited. This enabled us to make this dream a reality. Sadly, six weeks after the good news Rose passed away.

Dave, with help from Castleton Baths 1910, did not give up and continued to fundraise. Gathering a number of generous donations from the general public, Rochdale Freemasons, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, Action Together and Parkinson’s UK

In March 2024, the Hydrotherapy pool opened it’s doors to the public. Initially starting off with Parkinson’s patients, we started to see the benefits of this fantastic facility straight away. With increased mobility, pain reduction, greater mental health and a heap of other benefits.