Last Updated on 23/07/2025 by Alex Squire
Recently, I visited the swimming pool at One NK Leisure Centre in North Hykeham, Lincoln. I used to go swimming in a hydro pool, but the company that owned it decided to close it down. So I haven’t been able to go swimming as often as I would like. Sometimes I visit hydro pools at special schools, but these are only available on specific dates and usually during holiday times.
So, I decided to try the leisure Centre because it has good facilities.
One NK accessible swimming facilities
There are two things I need to be able to go swimming: firstly, an accessible changing room, with a hoist and a changing bed. Secondly, a hoist to get into the pool. One NK has both of these.
There is a Changing Places toilet which contains a ceiling hoist, a changing bed, a wheel-in shower, and a shower chair on wheels.
This accessible changing room has a door that leads to the main changing areas, and the pool is conveniently located just around the corner.
So to get into the pool, I needed to go onto the shower chair and be wheeled to the poolside hoist. The lifeguard then came and operated the hoist to lift the chair into the pool and lowered it down so I could float away.
Swimming pool
The water in the 25m swimming pool was 28°C, which felt a bit chilly when I first got in. Hydro pools are usually kept at a much warmer temperature, like about 40°C. However, once my body adjusted to the water’s temperature, it wasn’t too bad. I was able to kick around and get some exercise in, which was great. Pool noodles were available, which we used to try to keep me afloat, along with armbands.
One NK runs disability sessions once a week on Thursday at 12:10 PM until 1 PM, which is when I decided to go. It was fairly quiet at that time, which was good because I didn’t want loads of people staring whilst I got hoisted in and out of the pool. You can book a session using the Better UK app or on the leisure centre’s website. It costs £3.10 to book a session.
I stayed in the pool for about half an hour which was good for me and then got hoisted back out on the shower chair which is lowered into the water. Then it’s back to the Changing Places to be showered and changed.
Conclusion
I enjoyed using the pool at One NK as it was easy and accessible. It’s great to see swimming pools with good accessible facilities, as it promotes more inclusion. I like the idea of using the same facilities as everybody else because then I feel more included in society. Using Hydro pools at local special schools is still a good idea for doing physio when they are available, as the warm water helps my muscles to relax. But the pool at One NK will be a great resource for me to get more exercise, as I can use it more often. Swimming once a week would be great.
